Class Of 2021 Nominee Highlight: Peyton Manning
By Evan Chronis | October 21, 2020 | Pro Football Hall of Fame
Peyton Manning, one of the biggest names in NFL history, has been named to the list of 130 Modern-Era Nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Manning is a first-year eligible nominee in 2021 along with players like Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson.
PEYTON MANNING CAREER BIO
Peyton Manning entered the league with high expectations after being selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the No.1 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
The Tennessee product instantly met his initial expectations, setting multiple rookie records in his first season with the Colts and being named the NFL All-Rookie First Team.
Manning helped change the tide for the Colts franchise as the team entered a new decade, leading Indianapolis to the playoffs in three of his first five seasons behind center. However, he wouldn’t win a playoff game in any of those first three postseason appearances.
His stock rose dramatically in 2003, the first of his five MVP campaigns. Manning threw for 29 touchdowns and led the league with 4,267 passing yards in ’03, leading the Colts to a 12-4 record and all the way to the AFC Championship. He would win the MVP award again in ’04 after leading the league with 49 touchdown passes.
It took nine seasons for Manning to guide the Colts to the Lombardi Trophy, as they faced the Chicago Bears in the 2007 Super Bowl. The Colts won, 29-17, behind an MVP performance from ‘The Sheriff’.
Manning won back-to-back MVP performances again in 2008 and 2009, with the latter campaign resulting in another Super Bowl appearance. The result was less favorable this time, as Manning and the Colts fell to the New Orleans Saints, 31-17.
A career-altering change came in the 2012 offseason when Manning was released by the Colts and entered free agency for the first time in his career. He signed a five-year, $96 million deal with the Denver Broncos to start his next chapter in the NFL.
Manning’s 2013 season, his second in Denver, was the stuff of legends. He threw for an NFL record 55 touchdown passes and 5,477 yards. Both marks stand to this day.
The next season, Manning threw for his 509th career touchdown passes, leaping over Brett Favre to take the all-time mark.
His career finished on top as an injury-ridden Manning led the Broncos to the 2016 Super Bowl, where they defeated the Carolina Panthers, 24-10, behind a stellar defensive performance. A little over a month following the win, Manning announced his retirement from the league.
PEYTON MANNING ACCOLADES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• 2-Time Super Bowl Champion
• 2007 Super Bowl MVP
• 5-Time NFL MVP
• 2-Time NFL Offensive Player of the Year
• 2012 NFL Comeback Player of the Year
• 7-Time First-Team All-Pro
• 14-Time Pro Bowl Selection
• 3-Time NFL Passing Yards Leader
• 4-Time NFL Passing Touchdowns Leader
• NFL Record for Passing Touchdowns in a Season — 55
• NFL Record for Passing Yards in a Season — 5,477
• NFL Record for Passing Touchdowns in a Game — 7
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