After listening to Denver Broncos general manager John Elway and coach Gary Kubiak praise him for a storied career, Peyton Manning stepped to the podium Monday and said what everyone already knew.
This was the quarterback's last rodeo.
"There's something about 18 years - 18 is a good number," said Manning, who wore No. 18 throughout his pro career. "Today I retire from pro football."
In a news conference announcing his retirement from the NFL, Manning thanked the figures and fans who shaped his playing career, from his start at high school in New Orleans and in college at the University of Tennessee to his NFL run with the Indianapolis Colts and finally the Broncos. He went through the list of things he would miss about playing, from matchups with the rival New England Patriots to talking about the game with his father Archie and brother Eli.
"I revere football, I love the game," Manning said. "You don't have to wonder if I'll miss it. Absolutely I will."
Manning leaves the NFL as the league's only five-time MVP and its all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns. He said he did not know what his post-playing career would hold but had conversations with Elway about his next step.
"I'm totally convinced that the end of my football career is just the beginning of something I haven't even discovered yet. Life is not shrinking for me." It's morphing into a whole new world of possibility."
Manning said he took time to reflect after leading the Broncos to a Super Bowl 50 win but realized his time had come to step away.
Said Manning: "Maybe I don't throw as good or run as good as I used to, but I've always had good timing."
PHOTOS: PEYTON MANNING THROUGH THE YEARS
