Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning ( born March 24 , 1976 ) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League ( NFL ) . A five - time league MVP , he played for the Indianapolis Colts for 14 seasons from 1998 to 2011 . He is a son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and an elder brother of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning . Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee , leading the Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship in his senior season . However , No . 3 Tennessee lost to the No . 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers 42 - 17 in the Orange Bowl giving Nebraska and Tom Osborne their 3rd national championship in 4 years . He was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft . Manning ' s playing career and statistics have ranked him among the greatest quarterbacks of all - time . From 1998 to 2010 , he led the Colts to eight ( seven AFC South and one AFC East ) division championships , two AFC championships , and one Super Bowl championship ( Super Bowl XLI ) . His five NFL MVPs are a league record , he was the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLI , has been named to thirteen Pro Bowl s , has thirteen 4 , 000 - yard passing seasons , and is the Indianapolis Colts ' all - time leader in passing yards ( 54 , 828 ) and touchdown passes ( 399 ) . In 2009 , he was named the best player in the NFL , and Fox Sports , along with " Sports Illustrated " , named him the NFL player of the decade for the 2000s . Before the 2013 season had even finished SI had named him their Sportsman of the Year . In May 2011 , he underwent neck surgery to alleviate neck pain and arm weakness he dealt with during the previous few seasons before signing a five - year , $ 90 million contract extension with the Colts in July 2011 . Manning had hoped to play in the 2011 season , but in September 2011 he underwent a second , and much more serious surgery : a level one cervical fusion procedure . Manning had never missed an NFL game in his career , but was forced to miss the entire 2011 season . He was released by the Colts on March 7 , 2012 , and after an almost two - week period where he visited with and worked out for several NFL teams , he signed with the Denver Broncos on March 20 , 2012 . Manning ' s pre - snap routine has earned him the nickname " The Sheriff " , and he is one of the most recognizable and parodied players in the NFL . Teams led by Manning more often than not use the hurry - up offense in place of the standard huddle . High school career . Manning attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans , Louisiana . He led his team to a 34 – 5 record during three seasons as starter . He was named Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player - of - the - Year and Columbus ( Ohio ) Touchdown Club National Offensive Player - of - the - Year in 1993 . College career . Manning stunned many when he chose to attend the University of Tennessee and play on the Tennessee Volunteers football team , instead of attending the University of Mississippi , his father ' s alma mater . He became Tennessee ' s all - time leading passer with 11 , 201 yards and 89 touchdowns and won 39 of 45 games as a starter , breaking the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) record for career wins . As a freshman , Manning was the third - string quarterback , but injuries to Todd Helton and Jerry Colquitt forced him to take over the Mississippi State game , a 24 – 21 loss . In his first start , the following week against Washington State , the Vols won , 10 – 9 , and the Vols won all but one of their remaining games , finishing the season 8 – 4 with a 45 – 23 victory over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl . Manning and the Vols started off the 1995 season with victories over East Carolina and Georgia , before heading off to Gainesville to play the Gators . Against Florida , he threw for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns , leading the Vols to a 30 – 21 halftime lead . However , the Gators outscored the Vols 41 – 7 in the second half , winning 62 – 37 . This was the Vols ' only loss of the season , as they won their remaining 8 regular season games , including a 41 – 14 win over Alabama and then defeated Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl . The Vols ended the season ranked third and Manning came in sixth in Heisman Trophy voting . The Vols opened the 1996 season ranked second behind Nebraska and one of the favorites to win the national championship . However , after winning their first 2 games against UNLV and UCLA , the Vols again lost to Florida 35 – 29 , with Manning throwing 4 interceptions . After winning their next four games , the Vols were upset by Memphis , despite Manning passing for 296 yards . The Vols won the remainder of their games , including a 48 – 28 win in the Citrus Bowl over Northwestern , a game in which Manning passed for 408 yards and 4 touchdowns ; he was named the game ' s MVP . Manning completed his degree in three years , a B . A . in speech communication , and was projected to be the top overall pick in the NFL Draft , but returned to Tennessee for his senior year . In his senior season , the Vols opened the season with victories against Texas Tech and UCLA , but for the third time in his career , Manning fell to Florida 33 – 20 . The Vols won the rest of their regular season games , finishing 10 – 1 , and advanced to the SEC Championship game against Auburn . Down 20 – 7 , Manning led the Vols to a 30 – 29 victory . Throwing for 4 touchdowns , he was named the game ' s MVP , but injured himself in the process . The 3rd - ranked Vols were matched - up with second - ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl ; if Tennessee won and top - ranked Michigan lost to Washington State in the Rose Bowl , the Vols would win the national championship . However , the Vols ' defense could not stop Nebraska ' s rushing attack , giving up over 400 rushing yards in a 42 – 17 loss . As a senior , Manning won numerous awards ; he was a consensus first - team All - American , the Maxwell Award winner , the Davey O ' Brien Award winner , the Johnny Unitas Award winner , and the Best College Player ESPY award winner , among others ; however , he did not win the Heisman , finishing runner - up to Charles Woodson . In 2005 , Tennessee retired Manning ' s number ( No . 16 ) . One of the streets leading to Neyland Stadium has been renamed Peyton Manning Pass . Manning was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society in 1997 . Professional career . Indianapolis Colts . 1998 season : Rookie season . Despite concerns about his arm strength and mobility , Manning was selected first overall in the 1998 draft by the Indianapolis Colts . In his rookie season , he passed for 3 , 739 yards with 26 touchdowns , set five different NFL rookie records , including most touchdown pass es in a season , and was named to the NFL All - Rookie First Team . Manning ' s first win came against fellow rookie quarterback Ryan Leaf , 17 – 12 over the Chargers . Weeks later , Manning faced off against Steve Young ; he threw three touchdowns , tying a Colts rookie record , but the 49ers kicked a late field goal to win 34 – 31 . In November against the Jets , Manning threw for three touchdowns in a 24 – 23 win ; he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance . It was the first game - winning drive of Manning ' s career , as he hit Marcus Pollard with the game - winning TD pass . Manning was certainly a bright spot in 1998 for the Colts , but he also threw a league high 28 interceptions as the team struggled to a 3 – 13 record with a defense that gave up more than 27 points per game . The Colts lost many close games , including five games in which they had led by double - digits at some point . 1999 – 2001 . The Colts opened the 1999 season with a 31 – 14 victory over Buffalo , but gave up a 28 – 7 lead the following week against the Patriots and lost . After defeating San Diego 27 – 19 in a game in which Manning threw for over 400 yards , and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for they lost again , to Miami . The Colts responded by winning 11 of their remaining 12 games , finishing 13 – 3 and the AFC East champions . The 10 game turnaround from the previous year set an NFL record . As the second seed in the AFC , the Colts earned a first round bye , and faced Tennessee in the playoffs . The Colts lost 19 – 16 to the Super Bowl bound Titans and Manning was limited to one touchdown run . Manning finished the year with 4 , 135 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns , and was named both Second - team All - Pro and to the Pro Bowl , both firsts for him . In the Pro Bowl , he passed for 270 yards with 2 touchdowns . The Colts started the 2000 season inconsistently . Following an opening week victory against Kansas City , they blew a 21 – 0 lead against the Raiders . The Colts responded with a Monday Night victory against Jacksonville , a 43 – 14 win in which Manning threw for 430 yards and 4 touchdowns ; Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance . The Colts won 4 of their next 5 games , including one against New England in which Manning posted the first perfect passer rating of his career , but then lost 4 of the 5 games following that . The Colts regained their momentum , winning their final 3 games , including a 31 – 10 win over Minnesota on Week 17 . Manning threw for 4 touchdowns in the win and was again named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and the win gave the Colts a 10 – 6 record as well as a wild card spot in the playoffs . In the wild card game , the Colts fell to the Dolphins 23 – 17 in overtime . Manning passed for 194 yards and a touchdown in the loss . He finished the season with and and was named Second - team All - Pro and to the Pro Bowl . At the Pro Bowl , Manning threw two touchdown passes . Manning and the Colts introduced their now - signature no - huddle offense , and used it to great effect in a Week 1 rout of the Jets , 45 – 24 . Two weeks later ( Week 2 games were not played as scheduled due to the 9 / 11 attacks ) the Colts advanced to 2 – 0 with a win over Buffalo , behind Manning ' s 421 yards passing . He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game . However , the Colts lost the following week to New England , and continued their slide , losing their following two games . The Colts briefly rebounded , winning two games , but then lost 7 of their last 9 , including a 40 – 21 home loss to the 49ers . After Manning threw a career - high four interceptions in that game , coach Jim Mora uttered his infamous " Playoffs ? Don ' t talk about playoffs . Are you kidding me . Playoffs ? I ' m just hoping we can win a game , another game " press conference . Despite the 6 – 10 record , Manning finished the season with , , and 4 rushing touchdowns as the offense produced the second most points in the league . However , the defense allowed the most points and Jim Mora was fired after the season . 2002 season . Tony Dungy would become Manning ' s second head coach in the NFL . The Colts started off the 2002 season 4 – 1 , before a 3 - game losing streak sent them to 4 – 4 . The Colts responded by winning all but two of their remaining games , including a 35 – 13 upset of the Eagles in which Manning had a perfect passer rating for the second time in his career , giving them a 10 – 6 record and a spot in the playoffs . However , the Colts were pummeled by the Jets in the Wild Card game , 41 – 0 , with Manning passing for only 137 yards . He finished the year with and and was named to the Pro Bowl team . In the Pro Bowl , Manning completed five of eleven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown . 2003 season : First MVP . The 2003 Colts began the season 5 – 0 , including a 55 – 21 blowout of the Saints in which Manning played his third perfect passer rating game and threw a career - high six TD passes , earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors . On Monday Night Football against the defending champion Buccaneers , Manning and the Colts trailed 35 – 14 in the final five minutes . After one short TD drive , the Colts recovered the onside kick . Manning threw a 28 - yard TD pass to Marvin Harrison on 4th & 6 to make it 35 – 28 . With 1 : 41 remaining , Manning got the ball back and drove the offense 85 yards for the game - tying TD . He set up the winning 29 - yard field goal in overtime for a stunning 38 – 35 win . It was the only time in NFL history a team won a game after trailing by 21 points in the final 4 minutes of regulation . Manning passed for 386 yards in the game . After an overtime loss to Carolina , the Colts won all but three of their remaining games , finishing 12 – 4 . On November 30 the Colts hosted the 9 – 2 Patriots in what would be the beginning of the NFL ' s top rivalry of the 2000s . The Colts trailed 31 – 10 late in the third quarter before Manning threw three TD passes in a span of six minutes to tie the game . Trailing 38 – 34 in the final minutes , the Colts had 3 plays at the 1 - yard line to try and score the winning TD . Edgerrin James was stuffed on 4th down by Willie McGinest and the Patriots won . In a Week 14 win against Atlanta , Manning threw for five touchdowns and was named player of the week a second time . He also earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for the month of October . In the Wild Card playoff round Manning and the Colts defeated the Denver Broncos 41 – 10 , his first playoff win . He passed for 377 yards and 5 touchdowns in the game , earning him a perfect passer rating , his second of the season and the fourth of his career . After the game , Manning was awarded Player of the Week honors for the third time that season . In the divisional playoffs , Manning led the Colts to a 38 – 31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs . Neither team punted in the game . In the AFC title game Manning was shut down by the New England Patriots top - ranked defense and posted the third lowest passer rating of his career at 35 . 5 . The Patriots defense intercepted Manning four times and sacked him another four , as the Colts lost the game 24 – 14 . During the season , Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September and was named the AP NFL co - MVP along with Titans quarterback Steve McNair . Manning also received the ESPY Award for Best NFL Player . Manning led the league with and threw 29 touchdowns ; he was named first - team All - Pro and to the Pro Bowl . He passed for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Pro Bowl , a 55 – 52 loss . 2004 season : Second MVP . The 2004 Colts opened the season with a 27 – 24 loss to the Patriots , after Mike Vanderjagt missed a game tying field goal in the closing seconds of the game . The Colts won their next four games including a 45 – 31 win over Green Bay in which Manning threw 5 touchdowns , earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors , but then lost their next two games , to Jacksonville and Kansas City , despite Manning throwing for 840 yards combined in the two games . The Colts responded well , winning their next 8 games before losing their final regular season game to Denver , a game in which Manning played only the first series . During the month of November , Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week twice ; once for his 5 touchdown performance in a 49 – 14 blowout of Houston and once for his performance in a 41 – 9 win at Detroit on Thanksgiving in which he threw 6 touchdowns in less than three quarters . Due to his performances in November , Manning earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors . He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for a fourth time in the week 16 game against San Diego where he led the Colts to a 34 – 31 victory after trailing by fifteen in the fourth quarter . With the Colts facing a 4th & 4 at their own 26 , Manning waved the punt team off the field and completed a 19 - yard pass to Reggie Wayne for the first down . He finished the drive with a 21 - yard TD pass to Brandon Stokley , his 49th TD pass of the season , breaking Dan Marino ' s record of 48 . After the two - point conversion to tie , Manning got the ball first in overtime and set up the winning field goal . The Colts clinched the AFC ' s third seed with the win . During the season , Manning threw for 4 , 557 yards , had a then record 121 . 1 passer rating and a then - record 49 touchdown passes while throwing only 10 interceptions . Manning ' s 2004 season was voted the second greatest passing season of all time by ESPN in 2013 . He achieved this despite the 2004 season being his only season of his career where he attempted less than 500 passes . His 9 . 9 % touchdown passing percentage is currently the highest in NFL history . His 49 touchdown passes is currently the third highest ever and his 121 . 1 passer rating is the second highest ever . He was selected as the 2004 NFL MVP drawing 49 of 50 votes , was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year and was named the Best NFL Player at the ESPY Awards for the second consecutive year ; Manning also received the ESPY Award for Best Record - Breaking Performance for his 49 touchdown passes . The Colts finished the season with a 12 – 4 record and their second straight AFC South title . The Colts scored a franchise record 522 points . Three Colts receivers had 1 , 000 yard seasons with at least 10 touchdowns that season , also a record . Sports statistics site " Football Outsiders " calculates that Manning had the best season ever by a quarterback , play - for - play , in 2004 . In the Wild Card game against Denver , Manning passed for 458 yards and 4 touchdowns . However , the Colts ' 2004 season ended in Foxborough for a second straight year with a 20 – 3 loss against New England , when Manning recorded a season - low passer rating of 69 . 3 . It was Manning ' s seventh consecutive loss to the Patriots in Foxborough and the Colts ' three points were their lowest single game point total since their opening game of the 2003 season . Manning was named a Pro Bowl starter ; in the Pro Bowl , he threw 3 touchdowns in a 38 – 27 victory and was named the game ' s MVP . Manning was also a unanimous first - team All - Pro selection . 2005 season . In 2005 , the Colts had a greatly improved defense over that of recent years . Combining this with their offense , they won their first 13 games , including a 40 – 21 rout of the two - time defending Super Bowl Champions , New England . This was Manning ' s first road win against the Patriots in 8 attempts , and his 3 touchdowns passes earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors . By week 15 , the Colts had a perfect 13 – 0 record , and had secured the AFC South and home - field advantage throughout the playoffs . Nevertheless , Tony Dungy made the decision to play all of his regular starters against the Chargers . However , the Colts played a sub - par game against the Chargers and fell short of the win ; the score was 26 – 17 . Manning finished the season with , the first time he had thrown for under 4 , 000 yards since his rookie season of 1998 , largely because Manning sat out much of the final two games with the top AFC seed clinched . His quarterback rating of 104 . 1 was the highest in the league for the season . In the playoffs , the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the RCA Dome for the second AFC divisional playoff game of the 2005 season . In the 4th quarter with only a few minutes left in the game , Manning threw what looked to be the game - ending interception to Troy Polamalu , but the interception was overturned ( a call the NFL later admitted was incorrect ) . The Colts went on to score , and were able to get the ball back down three points near the end of the game . On 4th down , Manning was sacked near his own goal line , and the game seemed to be over as the Steelers were one yard from a touchdown . On the next play , the ball was fumbled by Jerome Bettis and picked up by Colts defender Nick Harper who appeared to have a clear path down the sideline for what might have been the game - winning score . However , Steelers ' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger managed to dive in front of Harper and tackle him by the leg , saving a touchdown . Then the Colts drove down the field to the Steelers 27 - yard line , before Mike Vanderjagt missed a field goal as time ran out . Manning came in second in voting for the MVP award to Shaun Alexander ending his streak at two years . He was named the 2005 winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Year Award , along with Tom Brady and Carson Palmer . Manning was also named first - team All - Pro for the third consecutive year and named to the Pro Bowl squad ; in the Pro Bowl , he threw one touchdown pass and three interceptions . 2006 season : Super Bowl championship . Manning opened the 2006 season against his brother Eli ' s New York Giants on Sunday Night Football ( the first " Manning Bowl " ) . It was the first NFL game with starting quarterbacks that were brothers , and Peyton ' s team won 26 – 21 . Manning passed for 400 yards against the Texans in a 43 – 24 victory , which earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors ( he also won the award for his 345 yards and 4 TD passes against the Redskins in week 7 ) . A second trip to New York , this time to play the Jets , produced another Colts win . After taking the lead twice in the fourth quarter , Manning had to lead a third scoring drive , this time finishing with a 1 - yard QB sneak rushing TD in the last minute for a 31 – 28 win . At Denver , Manning again led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter in a 34 – 31 shootout win . He completed 32 of 39 passes for 345 yards and 3 TDs . Following a second straight season with a win at New England , then a home win against Buffalo , the Colts were the NFL ' s last unbeaten team at 9 – 0 . Their first loss would come in Dallas . Plagued by a run defense that would allow over 100 yards in every game , the Colts were 11 – 4 heading into their final game . Against Miami , Manning threw for 282 yards , 2 TDs and rushed for another TD . The Colts won 27 – 22 , were AFC South division champions , and clinched the third seed in the AFC playoffs . Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week . He ended the regular season with 4 , 397 passing yards and a league - leading 31 touchdown passes . His passer rating ( 101 . 0 ) was the highest in the league for the third year in a row . Manning helped the offense set a NFL record for third down conversion rate in a season ( 56 . 1 % ) . Despite three interceptions , Manning completed 30 out of 38 passes as the Colts beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card playoff game by a score of 23 – 8 . The following week they were limited to five field goals and no touchdowns , but defeated the Baltimore Ravens , 15 – 6 . In the AFC Championship game against the rival Patriots , the Colts trailed 14 – 3 when Manning threw an interception that was returned for a TD by Asante Samuel to give New England a 21 – 3 lead . Manning led the Colts to 32 points in the second half for a 38 – 34 victory , the final score coming late in the fourth quarter as Manning led the Colts on an 80 - yard TD drive to take the lead for the first time in the game . He finished the game with 349 yards passing and two touchdowns ( 1 rushing ) . The comeback was the largest deficit ever overcome in a conference championship . Completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards with a touchdown and one interception , Manning led the Colts to a 29 – 17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI and was voted Super Bowl MVP . Manning , who had been criticized for failing to win big games , exorcised his big - game demons with the win . " In years ' past when our team ' s come up short , it ' s been disappointing " , he told reporters . " Somehow we found a way to have learned from some of those losses and we ' ve been a better team because of it . " For his role in the Colts ' championship run , Manning was awarded the ESPY for Best Championship Performance . Manning was again named to the Pro Bowl and was also named Second - team All - Pro ; in the Pro Bowl he played only two series , passing for 67 yards . Following the Super Bowl win , Manning agreed to restructure his contract to save the Colts $ 8 . 2 million in salary cap space . 2007 – 2008 . Manning ' s Colts opened the NFL season with 7 wins , pitting them against an undefeated Patriots squad in a match - up that was being called " Super Bowl 41 . 5 " . Manning and Addai helped the Colts to a 13 – 7 half - time lead , and an early fourth - quarter touchdown upped the lead to 20 – 10 . However , Brady led the Patriots to two late touchdowns , to hand Manning his first loss of the season , 24 – 20 . Manning finished the game with 225 yards passing , including a passing touchdown . He also had a rushing touchdown . Manning did not bounce back from the loss well . Against the San Diego Chargers he threw for a career - worst and franchise - record 6 interceptions . Despite this , he was able to rally the Colts from a 23 – 0 deficit to 23 – 21 , and gave Adam Vinatieri an opportunity to take the lead with a 29 - yard field goal . Vinatieri ' s miss sunk the Colts to 7 – 2 . Manning did not play particularly well against the Kansas City Chiefs either , throwing no touchdowns . However , he managed to lead the Colts on a late drive for a game - winning field goal , rushing for two yards on 4th and 1 in the process . Manning finished the game with , allowing him to overtake 40 , 000 in his career . The victory was Manning ' s 100th . The Colts won their next 5 games , securing yet another AFC South title , as well as the AFC ' s number two seed in the play - offs . In the final game of the regular season , Manning played only two series before being replaced with back - up Jim Sorgi ; the Colts lost the game to the Titans , 16 – 10 . Manning finished the season with , , and a quarterback rating of 98 . 0 . In the divisional round of the playoffs , Manning and the Colts lost to the Chargers , 28 – 24 . Manning helped the Colts to 4 different leads but could not lead a final touchdown drive for the win . Manning finished the game with and . Peyton was widely viewed during Super Bowl XLII as he cheered on brother Eli and the New York Giants in their upset of the New England Patriots . Manning was named a Pro Bowl starter and passed for 147 yards and a touchdown in three series . On July 14 , 2008 , Manning had surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee . Manning , who had worn a knee brace due to problems since he was in college , sat out all four preseason games and missed most of training camp . In the first regular season game at new Lucas Oil Stadium , the Colts lost 29 – 13 to the Chicago Bears . The following week they fell behind 15 – 0 to the Minnesota Vikings in the second half before rallying to win the game on Adam Vinatieri ' s 47 - yard field goal . Manning passed for 311 yards as the Colts avoided their first 0 – 2 start since Manning ' s rookie season . Week 3 matched the Colts with division rival Jacksonville . Manning threw 2 interceptions in the game , including one that was returned for a TD by Rashean Mathis . Jacksonville rushed for 236 yards and held the ball for over 41 minutes . Still , trailing by 6 late in the game Manning led the Colts on a 77 - yard TD drive to take a 21 – 20 lead . Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee made a 51 - yard field goal to win the game and drop the Colts to 1 – 2 . For the third week in a row , Manning used the 4th quarter to bring the Colts back from a 27 – 10 deficit in the last 5 minutes against the Houston Texans to a 31 – 27 victory . It was the first time an NFL team had won a game in regulation after trailing by 17 points in the last 5 minutes . Manning threw a 7 - yard TD pass on 4th & 6 to rookie tight end Tom Santi to make the deficit 27 – 17 . Houston QB Sage Rosenfels , starting for the injured Matt Schaub , then fumbled the ball on a scramble , and it was returned 68 yards for a TD by Gary Brackett . After another Rosenfels fumble , Manning threw the 5 - yard game - winning TD pass to Reggie Wayne . The Colts scored 3 TDs in 2 : 10 . On October 12 Manning led the Colts to a 31 – 3 blow out win at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens to avoid their first 0 – 3 start at home since 1997 . Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 17th time in his career for his effort of 3 TD passes and 271 yards passing . It was revealed during the game by CBS commentators Jim Nantz and Phil Simms that Manning had a second surgery on his knee before the season started . Colts coach Tony Dungy confirmed this report the day after the Baltimore game . The Colts suffered their largest margin of defeat , 34 – 14 , in Green Bay the following week . Manning threw 2 interceptions that were returned for touchdowns ( second time in career ; 1st was 9 / 30 / 01 vs . New England Patriots ) . The next week the Colts went into Tennessee on Monday Night Football to face the 6 – 0 Titans . They led 14 – 6 in the 3rd quarter , but Tennessee scored 25 unanswered for a 31 – 21 victory and almost assured the Colts they would not win the AFC South division title for the first time in 6 seasons . At 3 – 4 the Colts opened up November with their annual showdown against the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football . The game lacked the luster the rivalry has carried , as there was no Tom Brady , no undefeated season on the line , and neither team was in 1st place of their division . Still , the game was close all the way . Tied at 15 in the 4th quarter , Manning set up Adam Vinatieri for a 52 - yard field goal that proved to be the winning points in an 18 – 15 victory . Manning completed 21 of 29 passes for 254 yards , 2 touchdowns and no interceptions . The Colts were 4 – 4 halfway through the season and still alive in the AFC playoff race . In week 10 the Colts traveled to Pittsburgh , who had the league ' s No . 1 defense . They trailed 17 – 7 in the second quarter before Manning found Dallas Clark for a 2 - yard TD to end the half 17 – 14 . Down 20 – 17 in the 4th quarter , Manning found Dominic Rhodes uncovered for a 17 - yard TD pass that would put the Colts up 24 – 20 for the rest of the game . It was Manning ' s 4th game - winning drive ( 35th of his career ) this season . He completed 21 of 40 for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns ( the 50th game of his career with 3 + TD passes ) . It was the first time the Colts have won in Pittsburgh since 1968 ( 12 straight losses before this win ) . Against Houston , Manning passed for 320 yards and 2 TDs while leading 5 consecutive scoring drives in a 33 – 27 victory , the third in a row for the Colts . Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season ( 18th time , career ) At San Diego , Manning threw for 255 yards , 2 TDs and 1 INT in a 23 – 20 victory . The interception snapped a career - best streak of 140 pass attempts without an interception . After the Chargers rallied from a 10 - point deficit in the 4th to tie the game , Manning led the game - winning drive by completing a 14 - yard pass to Marvin Harrison on 4th and inches at midfield . Adam Vinateri kicked the winning 51 - yard field goal three plays later . It was Manning ' s 5th game - winning drive this season . Manning passed for a season - low 125 yards at Cleveland , but the Colts won their 5th straight game , by a final of 10 – 6 . In a 35 – 3 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals , Manning threw 3 TD passes while completing 26 of 32 passes for 277 yards . It marked the 11th straight season Manning had thrown at least 20 TD passes , the second longest streak ever . Against the 0 – 13 Detroit Lions , the Colts found themselves in a 21 – 21 game in the 4th quarter . Manning led his 6th game - winning drive of the season and the Colts pulled away 31 – 21 . It marked their 7th straight win , 7th straight season with 10 + wins , and they became the only team in NFL history to have a winning streak of at least 7 games in 5 straight seasons . Manning completed 28 of 37 passes for 318 yards and 1 TD . Needing a win to clinch the 5th seed in the playoffs , Manning had one of his best career performances in Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football . He completed his first 17 passes of the game . In addition to completing his last 6 against Detroit , Manning ' s 23 straight completions fell one shy of the NFL record ( Donovan McNabb – 24 ) . The Colts trailed 14 – 0 in the first half and 24 – 14 to start the 4th quarter . Manning led his 7th 4th quarter win of the season and the Colts put the game away with a defensive TD for a 31 – 24 victory to clinch a 7th consecutive playoff berth . Manning completed 29 of 34 passes ( 85 . 7 % ) for 364 yards and 3 TDs . It increased his NFL record streak of seasons with 25 TD passes to 11 . Manning and the Colts tied a NFL record by winning 3 games in a season in which they trailed by at least 14 points . For his efforts Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in 2008 . It was the 19th time he has won the award , passing Dan Marino for the most all - time since the award was originated in 1984 . He also was selected as the FedEx Air Player of the Week . With the playoff seed secured , Manning only played the opening drive in a shutout against the division - leading Titans in Week 17 . He completed all 7 of his passes for 95 yards and a TD , extending his NFL record to nine seasons with 4000 yards passing , and also extended the record to a sixth straight season he led the Colts to at least 12 wins . At the end of the 2008 season , Manning was named NFL MVP for the 3rd time , tying Brett Favre for the most MVP awards in NFL history . The day following the MVP award , the Colts played their 2007 nemesis , the Chargers , in their wild - card playoff game . Down 14 – 10 at the half , Manning put the Colts ahead 17 – 14 in the third quarter as he completed a 72 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Reggie Wayne . But the Chargers tied the game in the fourth quarter as kicker Nate Kaeding nailed a 22 - yard field goal . When San Diego won the coin toss , they scored on the first possession , ending the Colts season . 2009 season : Fourth MVP and second Super Bowl appearance . Under new head coach Jim Caldwell , Manning started the 2009 season with a victory by throwing for 301 yards . In week two Manning led his 29th fourth quarter comeback ( 38th game - winning drive ) by throwing for 303 yards and 2 TD passes , despite only having the ball for 14 : 53 , the lowest time of possession for a winning team in the NFL since they began tracking the statistic in 1977 . Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for the fourth time in his career in September . Against the Seattle Seahawks Manning passed for 353 yards and 2 TDs for his fourth consecutive 300 - yard passing game set a new franchise record . Against Houston Texans in week 9 he became the first quarterback to pass for over 40 , 000 yards in a decade . He threw a career - high 25 passes in the 1st quarter ( most in any opening quarter since 1991 ) , and had a career - high 40 pass attempts in the first half . He set a franchise record for most 300 - yard passing games in a season with his seventh 300 - yard effort of the season ( also a NFL record through the first 8 games of a season ) . Against Houston 3 weeks later Manning claimed his 34th comeback win in the 4th quarter , tying him with John Elway and Johnny Unitas for the second most in NFL history . On week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars Manning won his 23rd consecutive regular season game breaking Jim McMahon ' s NFL record of 22 straight wins with the Chicago Bears from 1984 – 87 . At the end of the regular season Manning was awarded his fourth MVP , breaking the NFL record for most MVPs by a single player . He was also selected to the AP All - Pro team for the fifth time in his career . In the AFC Divisional against the Baltimore Ravens Manning threw 2 TD passes late in the first half to build a 17 – 3 halftime lead . He completed 30 passes for 246 yards in leading his eight straight victory over the Ravens . In the AFC Championship against New York Jets Manning overcame a 17 – 6 deficit late in the second quarter to lead the Colts to 24 unanswered points in a 30 – 17 win . The 11 - point comeback was the third largest in a championship game . Manning set a playoff record with his seventh 300 - yard passing game in the postseason . In Super Bowl XLIV against New Orleans Saints , Manning led the Colts to a 10 – 0 lead after their two first quarter drives , throwing a TD pass to Pierre Garcon to cap off a 96 - yard drive ( tied for longest in Super Bowl history ) . After running just six plays in the second quarter , the Colts led 10 – 6 at halftime . The Saints recovered an onside kick to start the second half and took their first lead , 13 – 10 . Manning led a go ahead TD drive to regain the lead . Leading 17 – 16 at the start of the 4th quarter , Matt Stover missed a 51 - yard field goal for the Colts . The Saints scored the go ahead TD and two - point conversion to take a 24 – 17 lead with 5 : 42 left . Manning took over and moved the Colts to the Saints ' 31 - yard line . Facing a 3rd & 5 with 3 : 24 left , his pass intended for Reggie Wayne was intercepted by Tracy Porter , who returned it 74 yards for a critical TD and 31 – 17 Saints lead . Manning drove the Colts down to the 5 - yard line in the last minute , but his 4th & goal pass was dropped by Reggie Wayne at the goal line . The Saints won their first Super Bowl , dropping Manning to 9 – 9 in the postseason ( 1 – 1 Super Bowl record ) . Manning passed for 333 yards on 31 / 45 , with 1 TD and 1 interception . 2010 season . In a season - opening loss in Houston , Manning set career highs in pass attempts ( 57 ) and completions ( 40 ) , throwing for 3 TDs and 433 yards , the fourth highest opening - weekend total ever . In his third game Manning passed for 325 yards , 3 TDs and no interceptions , marking the first time since 1960 a QB began a season with three consecutive games of at least 3 TD passes and zero interceptions . Against the Kansas City Chiefs Manning failed to throw a TD for the first time in 2010 , but led the Colts on a game - winning drive in the 4th quarter ( 45th of his career ) to hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season . In week 6 against the Washington Redskins he passed for 307 yards and 2 TDs . Including the playoffs , that was 68 career games with 300 + yards passing , moving him ahead of Dan Marino ( 67 ) for the most in NFL history . Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles marked his 200th consecutive regular season start . Against the New England Patriots Manning passed for 396 yards , 4 TDs and 3 interceptions , the 2second time Manning threw 4 TDs in a game and breaking a tie with Dan Marino for second - most all - time . The next week was resulted in the largest margin of defeat at home in his NFL career , 36 – 14 to the San Diego Chargers . Against the Tennessee Titans he went over 4000 yards passing for the 11th time in a season , and tied Dan Marino with his 63rd regular season game with 300 + yards passing . Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game . The Colts ended up winning the AFC South for the seventh time in eight years , and Manning became the first QB in NFL history to lead his team to nine consecutive postseason berths ( 2002 – 2010 ) . It was the 208th consecutive regular season start of his career , breaking Gene Upshaw ' s record . For the season , Manning finished with a NFL record 450 completions on 679 attempts ( second most in history ) , and a career - high 4700 yards passing . The season ended in a one point defeat to the New York Jets in the play - off . In 2010 , he was chosen as the 14th - smartest athlete in sports by " Sporting News " . 2011 season . The Colts placed their franchise tag on Manning on February 15 , 2011 . On July 30 , 2011 , the Colts signed Manning to a 5 year , $ 90 million contract after negotiations in which he made it clear that he did not need to be the highest - paid player in the NFL . After a May 23 neck surgery , Manning could not use the Colts ' facilities for practice and workouts due to the NFL lockout . Reluctant to have witnesses to his recovery , he used the Colorado Rockies baseball team ' s trainers at Coors Field in Denver . Manning was unable to complete his throwing motion , and his arm strength had significantly diminished . Based on an MRI , doctors told him in the late summer that he needed spinal fusion surgery and that at his age they could not guarantee his return to the NFL . On September 7 the Colts officially ruled Manning out for the season opener against Houston , ending his consecutive starts streak of 208 games ( 227 including playoffs ) ; the team signed Kerry Collins out of retirement and named him interim starting quarterback . After seeking other opinions , Manning had the second surgery on September 8 . Manning stated that while he did intend to play during the 2011 season , he would not " fight " the front office to stay off injured reserve if his roster spot was needed . Manning started practicing throwing footballs again in mid - December , with teammate Joseph Addai even claiming his passes looked " game ready . " Ultimately , Manning did not play a single game in 2011 , and the Colts went 2 – 14 without him , only the second season since Manning was a rookie that the Colts did not win at least 10 games . Manning was released by the Colts on March 7 , 2012 . Upon his release , Colts owner Jim Irsay announced that no Colt will ever wear the No . 18 jersey again , though it has not yet been officially retired at this time . Denver Broncos . Manning reached an agreement with the Broncos on a five - year contract worth $ 96 million on March 20 , 2012 . Although No . 18 is retired in honor of Frank Tripucka , he gave Manning permission to wear it . 2012 season . On Thursday , August 9 , 2012 Manning made his first appearance as a Bronco in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears , where he completed 4 of 7 passes for 44 yards , and was intercepted once by Bears safety Major Wright . Manning made his regular season debut as a Denver Bronco in the prime time game on the first Sunday of the 2012 NFL Season , against the Pittsburgh Steelers . In the game , Manning completed 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards , 2 touchdowns , and no interceptions . He posted a 129 . 2 QB rating in the 31 – 19 win , and made history in the third quarter when he connected with Demaryius Thomas on a 71 - yard touchdown pass . The touchdown was Manning ' s first in the NFL with a team other than the Colts , and marked the 400th of his career , making him the third quarterback , after Dan Marino and Brett Favre , to accomplish the feat and the fastest of the three to reach that mark . Despite the preseason concerns about his recovery , by late October ESPN stated that Manning " has silenced the critics " about his arm strength . Manning was later named to the 2013 Pro Bowl , his twelfth . On February 2 , 2013 , Manning was awarded the AP National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award and was named a first - team All - Pro selection , in addition to finishing second in MVP voting . The Broncos made the playoffs , but lost 38 – 35 in double overtime to Baltimore , who went on to win Super Bowl XLVII that season . 2013 season : Fifth MVP . On the opening game of the 2013 NFL season , Manning became one of only six players in NFL history to throw seven touchdowns in a game . He did so against the defending Super Bowl XLVII champions , the Baltimore Ravens . He also added to this feat by not throwing an interception , tying Y . A . Tittle as one of the only two players to have a 7 : 0 touchdown to interception ratio in a single game ( although Nick Foles would later match that feat in week 9 of the same season ) . Against the Oakland Raiders in week three , Manning broke the record for most touchdown passes in the first three games of a season after throwing 12 , passing Tom Brady ' s record in 2011 . In Week 5 , Manning threw his first interception of the season , in a win against the Dallas Cowboys . He was intercepted by Morris Claiborne . In Week 16 against the Houston Texans , Manning broke Brady ' s record for most touchdown passes in a season with 51 on a 25 yard touchdown pass to Julius Thomas , he finished the regular season with 55 touchdown passes , in addition to throwing for a league record 5 , 477 yards . His 450 completions is tied for second most all time . The Broncos scored an NFL record 606 points , becoming the first team to ever to eclipse 600 points in a season . They also had more 50 point games in a season than any other team in NFL history , with three . Four Broncos receivers recorded at least 10 touchdowns , an NFL record and Manning set the record for most 4 + touchdown passing games in a season , with nine . His 115 . 1 passer rating ranks fifth all time and he joins Tom Brady to be the only two QB ' s to have a passer rating of 110 . 0 or higher in more than one season . The Broncos went on to win their Divisonal Round playoff game against the San Diego Chargers by a score of 24 - 17 . They beat the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game by a score of 26 - 16 , but lost to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII with a score of 43 - 8 . Manning set a Super Bowl record with 34 completions , but the record setting offense didn ' t record a first down until the 2nd quarter , and didn ' t put points on the board until the final seconds of the 3rd quarter . The Seahawks number one ranked defense proved too much , while Manning who threw one touchdown pass also threw two costly interceptions , one which was taken back for a touchdown . Manning is the third starting quarterback to have made it to the Super Bowl with more than one team , along with Craig Morton and Kurt Warner . With the loss to the Seahawks , he surpassed Brett Favre for the most postseason losses by a quarterback in NFL history . Personal life . Manning was born in New Orleans , Louisiana , the son of Olivia ( née Williams ) and NFL quarterback Elisha Archibald " Archie " Manning III . He married his wife , Ashley , in Memphis on St . Patrick ' s Day in 2001 . A graduate of the University of Virginia , Ashley was introduced to him by her parents ' next - door neighbor the summer before Manning ' s freshman year in college . Peyton and wife Ashley have twins , a boy and a girl , Marshall Williams and Mosley Thompson . Manning is a Christian . At age 13 , Manning said , " I committed my life to Christ , and that faith has been most important to me ever since . " Manning said his priorities ranked in order are " . . . faith , family , friends , and football . " Manning said he prays every night and before games and also said , " I hope ( and pray ) I don ’ t do too many things that displease Him before I get to Heaven myself . I believe , too , that life is much better and freer when you ’ re committed to God in that way . " Manning reportedly has an excellent memory for plays . He memorized the Colts ' playbook within a week after being drafted , and in 2012 was able to precisely recall the details and timing of a specific play he had used at Tennessee 16 years earlier . During the summer , Archie , Peyton , Eli , and eldest sibling Cooper run the Manning Passing Academy , a five - day camp which aims to improve the offensive skills of quarterbacks , wide receiver s , tight end s , and running back s . In addition to the Mannings , the camp has included many prominent players from football as coaches , such as Colts wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne . Peyton , along with Archie , authored a book entitled " Manning : A Father , His Sons , and a Football Legacy " , which was released in 2000 . The book covers Archie ' s and Cooper ' s lives and careers , and Peyton ' s life and career up to the time that the book was released , and examines football from both Archie ' s and Peyton ' s points - of - view . In 2009 , Peyton , Eli , and Archie co - authored a children ' s book entitled " Family Huddle " , which describes in simple text and pictures how the three Manning brothers played football as young boys ( Scholastic Press ; illustrations by Jim Madsen ) . Manning has donated over $ 8 , 000 to Republican politicians , among them Fred Thompson , Bob Corker , and former President George W . Bush . On October 26 , 2013 , Manning purchased 21 Papa John ' s pizza franchises , all in Colorado . Manning in popular culture . Manning has been credited with helping to improve the image of the city of Indianapolis . A curator at the Indiana State Museum observed that " There is no Super Bowl held here without Peyton . There is no Lucas Oil Stadium without Peyton . Without Peyton , the Colts would probably be in L . A . right now . " He has become the NFL ' s most marketable player , appearing in several television and printed advertisements for some of the NFL ' s biggest sponsors . Manning made an appearance on " Saturday Night Live " ' s sports extra in 2008 in which he was in a children ' s football scene , and a high school basketball scene . An ESPN " This is SportsCenter " ad from 2006 features the entire Manning family ; parents Archie and Olivia , with their sons Peyton , Eli and Cooper , touring the SportsCenter studios with Peyton and Eli engaging in behind everybody . He appeared in one of a series of DirecTV commercials where celebrities are seen in their element , then suddenly begin addressing the viewer . In his commercial they parodied his pre - snap audible routine and known delay in calling for the ball by having him pitch NFL Sunday Ticket instead of changing the play during a blowout game against the Tennessee Titans . Manning also appears in advertisements for St . Mary ' s Medical Center in Knoxville , Tennessee . Manning hosted " Saturday Night Live " with musical guest Carrie Underwood on March 24 , 2007 , his 31st birthday . The episode earned the show ' s highest household rating in more than 10 months in the metered markets . During his opening , he alluded to his most - marketable status by joking that he had accomplished two of his life goals : his team , the Colts , winning a Super Bowl and his appearance on over half of America ' s television commercials . He has also won the Favorite Male Athlete award for the Kids Choice Awards . On May 27 , 2007 Manning waved the green flag to begin the 91st Indianapolis 500 . In 2009 , Manning guest - voiced ( with his brothers , Eli and Cooper ) on an episode of " The Simpsons " called " O Brother , Where Bart Thou ? " in which Bart dreams of having a baby brother and sees such famous brothers as The Marx Brothers , The Blues Brothers , The Wright Brothers , The Mario Brothers , and The Manning Brothers . In a 2012 interview , " Star Wars " novelist Drew Karpyshyn named Manning the NFL personality most likely to become a Jedi Knight . " The guy always seems calm , cool and collected . He follows the Jedi mantra of " there is no emotion , only peace " . But he ' s still an incredible player – when he ' s on the field the Broncos are a contender . When he ' s not … well , we saw what happened last year . Obviously he must be using the Force to get it done , right ? " Charitable works . Shortly after beginning his NFL career , Manning started his own charity , the Peyback Foundation . The Peyback Foundation ' s mission is to help disadvantaged kids , and focuses its efforts in Louisiana , Tennessee , and Indiana . For his work with this foundation , Manning received the Samuel S . Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or Under , an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards . Manning , along with his brother Eli , volunteered their assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina . Among the tasks performed , the Mannings assisted in the delivery of 30 , 000 pounds of water , Gatorade , baby formula , diapers , and pillows to the people of New Orleans . On September , 2007 , St . Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis renamed its children ' s hospital to " Peyton Manning Children ' s Hospital at St . Vincent . " Manning and his wife made a donation of an undisclosed amount to St . Vincent ' s and have had a relationship with the hospital since his arrival in Indianapolis . The Manning Bowl . As of 2013 , Peyton and Eli Manning ' s teams have played against each other three times in their professional careers . These encounters have been colloquially dubbed " The Manning Bowl " , and as of 2013 , Peyton ' s teams ( twice with the Indianapolis Colts ; once with the Denver Broncos ) hold a 3 - 0 record over Eli ' s team ( three games with the New York Giants ) . The first Manning Bowl was held on September 10 , 2006 , and Peyton ' s Colts defeated Eli ' s Giants by a score of 26 – 21 . The second Manning Bowl , was held on September 19 , 2010 ; Peyton and the Colts bested Eli ' s team again by a score of 38 – 14 . The third Manning Bowl took place on September 15 , 2013 , and Peyton and the Broncos beat Eli ' s Giants , 41 - 23 . Career awards and records . NFL awards . Additionally , Manning has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month a record eight times ( 9 / 2003 , 11 / 2004 , 10 / 2006 , 9 / 2009 , 9 / 2012 , 10 / 2012 , 9 / 2013 , 12 / 2013 ) and Offensive Player of the Week a record 26 times ( 25 AFC , 1 NFL / playoff ) . NFL records . Manning holds a number of individual career records : With Marvin Harrison . Manning and former Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison hold a number of QB - WR tandem records : NFL career statistics . All statistics from " Pro Football Reference " , " CBS Sportsline " , and " ESPN "