Manning Nixes Any Talk of Retirement

If you thought, like I did last week, that Peyton Manning is considering retiring after the Super Bowl this Sunday, win or lose, you'd be wrong.

Manning said he has no intention of leaving the game he loves any time soon.

"I know there have been a number of players who have walked away as champions," Manning said in article by USA Today. 

"I'm sure that's a great feeling for those people. John Elway. Ray Lewis did it last year. Michael Strahan. In talking to Ray Lewis and talking to John Elway, they couldn't play anymore. That was all they had to give. They truly left it all out there."

You can't really blame Manning for not wanting to leave; he just got back. But former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said in the same article he understands both sides. 

"If he can keep playing, he should play," Lewis said. "But there's no shame in going out on top."

That's all well and good, but again, there's still a sticky little clause in his contract with Denver, stipulating that he undergo a thorough neck examination in March after every NFL season. If the results indicate his risk of injury has inceased, then the Broncos have the right to terminate the deal. It's a harsh reality.

Yes, if he leads the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory, that could be a high-risk public relations move for the team, but it's tough to go against the grain when serious medical issues are involved.