Peyton Manning hasn’t told Broncos retirement plans despite report

A report on Saturday night said Peyton Manning will retire “in all probability” by the end of next week, though the Denver Broncos’ vice president of public relations said Manning has not made his final decision yet.

Longtime Denver Post columnist Woody Paige wrote on Saturday night, citing two sources, that “in all probablity” Manning will retire from the NFL by the end of next week, leaving the game after his second Super Bowl championship. But Broncos spokesman Patrick Smyth said on Twitter: “Peyton has not made a decision on his future. Plan remains for him to continue talks with the team this week.”

It wouldn’t be a surprise if 39-year-old Manning does retire, and despite what the Broncos said at the NFL scouting combine this week, the team does have a deadline. Manning’s $19 million salary becomes guaranteed when the new league year starts, on March 9. And it stands to reason that despite the Broncos’ public patience, they would need an answer before that because they have to figure out what to do with quarterback Brock Osweiler, who is set to be a free agent but could be Manning’s successor if retained.

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak and general manager John Elway maintained all week at the combine that they hadn’t heard from Manning and won’t pressure him for a decision.

If Manning does retire, it would end perhaps the greatest career for a quarterback in NFL history. He’s the NFL’s only five-time MVP and the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, among other records. Capping it all off with a win in Super Bowl 50 would be a perfect end to his career, though if he wanted to continue playing he’d likely have opportunities, even if it’s not with the Broncos.

But Manning said after the Super Bowl he wouldn’t rush into an emotional decision, and there has been no news from him since then. He could decide to retire, and if he does, it has to come pretty soon. But the team maintains that decision still hasn’t been finalized.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab