With each passing day, Woody Paige’s report looks to be more and more off base. Not only does Peyton Manning not look like he’s going to be announcing his retirement this week, but he may not be retiring at all.
On Wednesday morning, Manning’s agent joined Mark Schlereth and Mike Evans of 104.3 The Fan’s morning show to talk about Manning’s future.
“To tell you the truth, I know that Peyton has not decided,” Condon said, via The Denver Post.
And while there’s no way to know whether Condon truly knows what Manning is thinking, there aren’t many people in this world who would know any better.
“The only thing he said is I want to take my time and I want to make a good decision. I don’t want to go back on anything,” Condon said of what Manning has told him. “And then he said, ‘I really like to play.’ And I said ‘OK, a year from now you’ll say I really like to play and 20 years from now, you’ll say I really like to play.'”
From the outside, it may seem like an easy decision. Not only is the guy coming off the worst season of his career, clearly showing signs of serious and immediate regression, but he won the Super Bowl! Every player of his caliber would dream of being gifted the opportunity to ride off into the sunset.
But for some players, leaving the only thing they know how to do is a monumental decision. Since Peyton was a toddler, throwing balls in the backyard with his father Archie, football has been his life. To leave that all behind must be a decision most of us can’t even comprehend, especially when, as Condon says, there are teams interested in his services.
“With Peyton, they’re looking for somebody that’s going to set an example for the rest of the team, who is going to provide leadership and who is going to teach everybody what it takes to be a world-class player,” Condon said. “Some teams look at him and say we want him to be a part of our administration. He’s going to have a lot of opportunities, and deservedly so.”
But if Manning does decide to hang it up, Condon believes he won’t be without options. Whatever he wants to do, he can do it.
“There isn’t anything he can’t do,” Condon said. “Whether it was politics or broadcasting, or most likely, some place with a club. Whether that’s an administration or ownership position, whatever that is.”