Manning: I will haunt you for many years to come
So whether or not Manning really will stick around for another eight years is debatable, but in an article I found today he makes it pretty clear that he’s not leaving any time soon.
Now that he has joined the thirtysomething crowd, it’s Manning’s desire to stick around for another eight seasons. That would take him through the 2013 season and culminate in a 16-year career.
That’s the number — 16 — that always has popped into Manning’s head whenever anyone has asked how long he intends to play. His father, Archie, played for 15 seasons. Denver’s John Elway played for 16 seasons and Miami’s Dan Marino for 17.
“I’ve just always picked 16 years for myself,” Manning said, “so I’ve just finished the halfway point. I still feel like I’m in a young body. Certainly I’ve been fortunate healthwise and I’ve had outstanding protection my entire career. I still feel very healthy.”
If he really does keep playing for another eight years, that’ll be quite an accomplishment. As it is right now, I think you could make an argument for him getting into the Pro Football HOF based just on what he’s accomplished so far. He has, after all, had the greatest quarterbacking season in NFL history only two years ago.
Eight more years of consistent, high level production and a Super Bowl ring or two that I can’t forsee him not winning will surely cement him as one of the top quarterbacks in history.
Ahh, that’s a might big if. Not saying it would keep him out, but you’d hate for there to always be an asterisk next to your name.
* Didn’t win the big one.
why the presumption someone has to win the biggie? Marino didn’t. Kelley didn’t. Lots of guys never win it. There’s only one out of 32 starting quarterbacks who win it every year.
Archie Manning never won it, but he was a great qb on a horrible team
Not saying it’ll keep him out, as you’ve noted the big exceptions. But a recap of an otherwise illustrious career will never go without the asterisk. And no one will ever be able to say he was on a horrible team.
A horrible team? No, not like his dad.
A team that crumbled around him come playoffs? Yes indeed