Peyton Manning, who helped the Denver Broncos win their third Super Bowl, is officially elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it was announced Saturday night during the NFL Honors show. Manning joins John Elway as the franchise’s second quarterback to be elected into the Hall.

Manning was selected after it reportedly took the Hall of Fame selection committee only 37 seconds to decide his fate in his first year of eligibility. Former Broncos safety John Lynch (2004-07) was also selected for the 2021 class, along with Charles Woodson, Tom Flores, Calvin Johnson, Drew Pearson, Alan Faneca and Bill Nunn. 

“I went two years ago (to the enshrinement),” Manning said. “I remember Steve Atwater and I were sitting in the audience watching Champ Bailey get his gold jacket put on. I could just tell how excited Champ was and what that moment meant to him. I’m so happy for Steve that he’s getting to go in finally even after a year of the delay due to the pandemic. I feel like I have it in the right perspective. I’m honored to be a part of it, and looking forward to joining this new team.”

Woody Paige: A salute to Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, one of the best who ever was

Manning finished his football career in 2015-16 as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history. The son of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, he started his career in 1988 in seventh grade and became a standout at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. He was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 1993 and went on to play at Tennessee, where he threw for 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns in four seasons.

He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts No. 1 overall in 1998 and spent his next 14 seasons there. He helped the Colts beat the Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI (2006-07), in which he was named Super Bowl MVP. During his 14 seasons with the Colts, Manning became iconic for his audible calls, earning him the nickname “The Sheriff” in 2009. Manning is considered one of the greatest players in Colts history, having his jersey retired in 2017.

Following the 2011 season — which he did not play a game in due to a neck injury — Manning left Indianapolis and signed with the Broncos on a five-year, $96 million contract. Manning’s arrival in Denver was in large part thanks to then-Broncos General Manager John Elway, who is credited with pulling off one of the greatest free agency signings in NFL history.

In his first season with the Broncos, Manning was named the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year after he helped the Broncos to a 13-3 regular-season record before losing to the Ravens in the divisional playoff round. The following season, in 2013-14, Manning had arguably the best season of his career, throwing for a career-high 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns, winning the league MVP and helping the Broncos to a Super Bowl appearance, which they lost 43-8 to the Seahawks.

In 2014-15, Manning passed Brett Favre as the all-time leader in passing touchdowns with his 509th career TD pass coming against the 49ers in Week 7. The Broncos went 12-4 that season and lost to the Colts in the divisional round. With new coach Gary Kubiak at the helm in 2015-16, many speculated Manning’s 18th season would be his last, as he battled several injuries and only played in nine games. Still, Manning led the Broncos to Super Bowl 50 where he helped Denver beat the Panthers 24-10, going 13 of 23 for 141 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.

“The combination of Peyton’s deep love of the game, intense work ethic and relentless preparation will never be matched,” Broncos President and CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. “From his teammates to the coaches to the staff, Peyton raised the standard with the Broncos. His leadership made everyone better and we have great respect for him throughout our entire organization. All that Peyton was able to accomplish with the Broncos — the countless wins, his MVP award and our Super Bowl 50 run — would not have been possible without his remarkable perseverance and mental toughness in overcoming injury. He’s a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer in every sense as an incredibly special player and person who has meant so much to this game.”

Just a month after winning the Super Bowl, on March 7, 2016, Manning announced his retirement, stating “There is just something about 18 years. Eighteen is a good number and today I retire from pro football.”

“Grateful is the word that comes to my mind when thinking of the Denver Broncos,” Manning said in his retirement speech. “I want to thank Pat Bowlen and his family, Joe Ellis, John Elway, John Fox, Gary Kubiak and their staffs and all the support people in this great organization. To all of my Denver teammates, thank you for what you’ve done for this old quarterback. And of course my gratitude to the Broncos fans everywhere.”

Manning sits third all time among quarterbacks in passing yards (71,940) and touchdowns (539), trailing only Drew Brees and Tom Brady. He 14-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro selection and a five-time NFL MVP — the most in league history.

Manning, and the other seven inductees, will officially be immortalized in Canton, Ohio, the week of Aug. 5-9. 

PEYTON MANNING VS TOM BRADY (BRADY LEADS SERIES ALL-TIME 11-6)

Touchdown passes

Manning: 539 (third)

Brady: 581 (first)

Passing yards

Manning: 71,940 (third)

Brady: 79,204 (second)

MVPs

Manning: 5 (first)

Brady: 3 (tied second)

Pro Bowls

Manning: 14 (tied first)

Brady: 14 (tied first)

Super Bowl wins

Manning: 2

Brady: 6