Peyton Manning has just recently announced his retirement from the NFL. Everyone is sad to see this football star go, and we saw it fit to honor his leave with a ranking of his best achievements. In honor of this great footballer’s career, we have finally come to present you with his top six career highlights!
Number Six: Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl XLI
During the star player’s ninth season on the field, he made a record Super Bowl win against South Florida. With a swift, 53-yard touchdown pass to fellow Colt Reggie Wayne, he raked in victory in the 2006 Super Bowl. Truly a legendary move, and it also won him the MVP award.
Number Five: The 2006 AFC Championship
In the world of football, any day becomes legendary when you finally destroy the pretentious Tom Brady. In this 2006 Championship game, the Patriots were at large with 21-3 against the Colts in the second quarter. Just when all hope was thought to be lost, Manning swept in with an epic victory. Manning made a legendary pass of 349 yards, and led the Colts to victory with a final touchdown, leaving the score at 38-34.
Number Four: The First Playoff Victory
Eventually, he came to have quite a lot of these; however, your first is always the most special. During Manning’s fourth postseason start, he passed 377 yards and scored five touchdowns against Denver. This 2003 wild card success earned him a remarkable passer rating of 158.3.
Number Three: The 2013 Opening Night Miracle
In the heated game against the Ravens on opening night of the 2013 season, Peyton Manning made it widely known that he was coming back stronger than ever. He scored a record career-high of seven total touchdowns in this miraculous game, stealing the title against the defending champions and demolishing his personal record.
Number Two: Record-Breaking Greatness
In the 2014 game against the 49ers, Manning made history with a single pass. This particular pass marked his 509th touchdown pass in his career, which knocked Brett Favre’s previous record off of the field. He not only brought his team to victory but also became the all-time leader for touchdown passes in the history of the NFL.
Number One: Going Out With a Bang
That’s right, folks- we had to throw in Manning’s legendary final game. We can admit, he didn’t do as great as he normally does. However, he still aided in bringing his team to victory. In his fourth ever Super Bowl game, Manning completed two turnovers, and 141 passing yards- the fewest of any of his previous playoff wins. Despite this, he achieved his second Lombardi Trophy. Happy retirement, Peyton! We hope you enjoyed our ranking of Peyton Manning’s top six career highlights!