Win or lose, Super Bowl 50 shouldn't affect Peyton Manning's legacy
Walking off into the sunset as a Super Bowl champion would be the perfect ending for Peyton Manning, but regardless of what happens on Sunday, he should hold his head high.
Brother Eli is right: Manning's legacy doesn't hinge on winning Super Bowl 50. His name is all over the record books, and he's assured of a spot in the Hall of Fame. Adding another Super Bowl ring to his collection isn't going to change that.
"Honestly, I think there's maybe too much placed on rings and Super Bowl championships, because it's not one player," Eli, a two-time champion, said recently. "The quarterback is not the sole reason that you win a championship. It's the team and everybody coming around. Peyton, his impact on the game of football, will not be determined based off this one game."
When it comes to determining a quarterback's legacy, championships are just part of the equation. Dan Marino, arguably the best pure passer ever, never won a Super Bowl. Dan Fouts, who ran one of the greatest passing offenses in the history of the NFL, never even made it to the big game.
Come Sunday, Manning will have reached the Super Bowl four times - a feat only six other quarterbacks have accomplished. A 2-2 record would look a lot better than 1-3, but Manning's never really been regarded as a postseason quarterback. That's a legacy reserved for guys like Joe Montana and Tom Brady.
If Manning decides to call it quits after Super Bowl 50, he'll retire as the all-time leader in career passing yards (71,940), touchdowns (539), and game-winning drives (56); second in completions (6,125) and attempts (9,380); fourth in completion percentage (65.3); and fifth in passer rating (96.5).
He's tied with Brett Favre for the most regular-season wins by a quarterback (186), and has captured an NFL-record five MVP awards. By statistical measures, his 2013 campaign - in which he threw for 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards - was the most productive season ever for a quarterback.
These are the numbers that will ultimately define Manning's career.
Former NFL quarterback and current CBS football analyst Phil Simms put it best this week when asked about Manning's legacy.
"What can Peyton Manning do in the (Super Bowl) that can change the way you think of him?" Simms said. "I used the analogy earlier - he's been to the plate 5,000 times, so we're going to judge and change everything according to one more at bat?"
Whether he wins or loses in Santa Clara, Manning will go down as one of the greatest to have ever played the game. Super Bowl 50 is just one chapter in his storied career.