After 18 seasons and two Super Bowl titles, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is retiring.
"There's just something about 18 years. Eighteen is a good number. And today I retire from pro football," Manning said in a press conference.
Manning's retirement doesn't exactly come as a shock. The soon-to-be 40-year-old is the oldest quarterback ever to start a Super Bowl.
And after the Broncos knocked off the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, on-field cameras caught Manning telling Pats coach Bill Belichick "this might be my last rodeo."
Manning exits as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and total wins as a quarterback.
But Manning's postseason legacy has always been a point of criticism, which made his team's Super Bowl win that much more important. Manning now has two Super Bowl rings after Denver's victory.
There's a reason Manning waited until after the season was over to make this decision. Manning said at Super Bowl Opening Night he didn't want a farewell tour throughout an entire season.
And just because Manning is retiring from playing doesn't necessarily mean he's done with football.
There's speculation he could consider a front-office job, with one report from CBS highlighting Cleveland and Tennessee as possible landing spots.
This video includes clips from NJ.com and Nationwide, and images from Getty Images.
