Manning picked a good time to call it quits. He recently led the Broncos to victory in Super Bowl 50, earning his second Super Bowl title.
Manning received an outpouring of support from fans and teammates on social media.
"Peyton was everything that we thought he was and even more — not only for the football team but in the community," Broncos general manager and former quarterback John Elway said in a statement. "I’m very thankful Peyton chose to play for the Denver Broncos, and I congratulate him on his Hall of Fame career."
Manning ends his career as the all-time NFL record holder for passing yards and touchdown passes and is the only NFL quarterback to win Super Bowls with two teams (the Broncos and the Colts). But he also faced several scandals at the end of his career, including allegations of doping and sexual harassment.
If you're a Manning fan, celebrate his retirement by revisiting his classic interview with Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy character.
Update 1:04pm CT, March 6: Added Pat McAfee tweet.
Photo via Jeffrey Beall/Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0)