Peyton Manning says goodbye to NFL playing days

Larry Fine
Updated
A Look Back on All the NFL Records Set by Peyton Manning
A Look Back on All the NFL Records Set by Peyton Manning

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning bid an emotional farewell to the National Football League on Monday after an 18-year career that established him as one of the game's greatest quarterbacks.

"(Hall of Fame quarterback) Johnny Unitas told me 'Peyton, stay at it. I'm pulling for you.' Well, I have stayed at it. For 18 years," Manning, who capped his brilliant career by helping the Broncos win a Super Bowl last month, told a news conference in Denver. "Today I retire from the game of pro football."

Manning, who turns 40 later this month, leaves the NFL as its all-time leader in passing touchdowns and passing yards and as the league's only five-time winner of the Most Valuable Player award.

The cerebral signal-caller left the stage on a high-point, becoming the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl and first to win with two different teams following the NFL crown he won with the 2006 Indianapolis Colts.

PEYTON MANNING THROUGH THE YEARS:

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