Whether you’re a fan of American football or not, you’ve probably heard of the National Football League (NFL), one of America’s greatest annual sporting leagues.
NFL players are simply the best of the best when it comes to skill, dominance, and stamina on the football field. If you want to make wagers on player props or check out predictions for the remainder of the season, you can check out NFL spreads for accurate and up-to-date information.
However, NFL teams are also competitive to a fault – to the point where players often clash and injuries occur.
Nobody is immune to this, including legendary players like Peyton Manning. The premier quarterback saw his fair share of injuries during his time in the league, which we’ll discuss below.
Who Is Peyton Manning?
Peyton Manning is a household name and is widely recognized for his core strength and athletic abilities that helped him to fight off just about any opponent.
When playing in the NFL, Manning had significant arm strength, a lightning-quick mind, and a fast release that helped to establish him as one of the greatest QBs to ever exist.
Manning is considered to be one of the most efficient quarterbacks that the NFL has ever seen. He dominated the league for 18 illustrious seasons, spending 14 with the Indianapolis Colts and four with the Denver Broncos.
Professional Career
Indianapolis Colts (1998 – 2011)
At 6’5” and 230 pounds, the University of Tennessee quarterback was the first overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts during the 1998 NFL Draft.
His NFL career started with a bang. During his first year with the Colts, and under head coach Jim Mora, he started a total of 16 games as a rookie and managed to set records for Colts and rookie attempts (575), completions (326), yards (3,739) and touchdowns (26). His stats only increased from this point.
After neck surgery in May 2011, he was ruled out for that season. Despite having additional surgeries, he was kept on the roster without being placed on injured reserve. He didn’t play a single game that season and was released from his contract in March 2012.
Denver Broncos (2012 – 2015)
Manning signed with the Denver Broncos for the 2012 season after recovering from neck surgery and saw near immediate success, as was expected.
It was his second season with the Broncos that saw Manning lead Denver straight to an AFC championship win and an appearance in Super Bowl XLI. He’d continue to break franchise and league records during his time with the Broncos.
His final act occurred during Super Bowl 50 (the 2015-2016 season) where Manning guided the Broncos to an impressive 24-10 victory over the Panthers. This resulted in the franchise’s first Super Bowl win in almost two decades and saw Manning end his career on a high.
Injury Timeline
2006
Manning sustained a serious neck injury during a game against the Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders) in October 2006. His helmet was ripped off and his neck was wrenched after taking legal hits from Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels.
At the time, Manning got up and shook off the injury to complete the game, throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns in the second half of the game. This injury would continue to become aggravated over the years but, fortunately, nothing too damaging occurred.
2008
In July 2008, Manning had surgery on his left knee to remove an infected bursa sac. The star quarterback had worn a knee brace due to problems that occurred while he was playing in college.
Due to this surgery, Manning was forced to sit out all preseason games and miss the majority of training camp.
In October of that same year, just before the start of the season, Manning had a second knee surgery.
2010
Manning underwent his first neck surgery in early 2010 to relieve some pain in his throwing arm that was related to pressure from a herniated disc impacting the nerves in his cervical spine. This was a successful procedure with Manning back to working out in less than a week.
2011
During the off-season, Manning’s pain quickly returned. An MRI showed another herniated disc, with another neck surgery known as a cervical vertebral fusion quickly following in May 2011.
As it was his second operation, Manning was expected to require 6-8 weeks of rest and rehabilitation before returning to his normal schedule.
The surgery initially improved the function of his neck, however, it caused damage to the nerves which quickly cost him a lot of the strength in his right arm.
After a long workup and multiple failed treatments, Manning underwent a fourth surgery in September 2011. This was a single-level anterior fusion.
2015
Manning also suffered from a bout of plantar fasciitis which kept him out of play during Week 11, the first time he had ever missed a game in an active season.
Recovery
Many people wrote Manning off after the 2011 season, but he was far from done. Despite having to sit out for the 2011 season and end his NFL record of 208 consecutive starts, Manning became one of the league’s most sought-after free-agent players.
After extensive preparation, he returned to full health during the following season (2012, his first with the Broncos). He regained his talent and re-established himself as one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL.
Manning has since admitted that he now has no feeling in his fingertips.
What Happened Next?
The two-time NFL champion and five-time MVP retired in 2016. He was elected to the NFL 100 All-Time Team and was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 for his contributions to football.
Summary
Season after season, and despite his injuries, Manning continued to impress fans and other sportspeople alike with his incredible resilience and stamina. Throughout his career, he took great leaps to establish himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks, and all-round greatest players, the NFL has ever seen.
