The Case For The Broncos Ring Of Fame: Peyton Manning

In the fifth of Thin Air’s series on considerations for the Broncos Ring of Fame is Peyton Manning (2012-2015).

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Peyton Manning came to the team via an extreme rarity: a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback as an unrestricted free agent. (Brett Favre and maybe Drew Brees are the only others that qualify.) He arrived amid one of the most divisive period among followers of the Broncos: longtime fans versus Tim Tebow devotees. For John Elway, there was no such division, as the arrival of Manning led to the quick departure of Tebow.

He was with the Broncos for only four seasons, a tenure the Ring of Fame considers to be the minimum necessary for induction.  In those four seasons, here’s the basic sampling of what he accomplished:

  • 17,112 total yards, 140 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 101.7.
  • A record setting number of yards (5477) and touchdowns (55) in one season, 2013.
  • Being part of a regular season record of 50-14, with all seasons containing either 12 or 13 wins.
  • Being part of four AFC West titles, two AFC championships, and one Super Bowl.

Another rule of the Ring of Fame is that there is a five-year waiting period, only formally waived for Elway. However, that has not stopped the Broncos from already recognizing his contributions inside the stadium, as he shares the retirement of #18 with Frank Tripucka.