Peyton Manning's Seasons, Ranked
With the NFL great newly retired, it's time to take a look back at his wildly successful 18-year career.
Image via Complex Original
With a dramatic flourish, Peyton Manning's NFL career came to a close in the most fitting of ways: a Super Bowl victory. While he was able to hoist his second Lombardi Trophy serving largely as a bystander both on and off the field, No. 18 enjoyed an unprecedented run of success over the course of his 18 years in the NFL.
Beyond the oft-reported individual records for career passing yards and touchdowns, Manning has been named to more Pro Bowls (14) than any quarterback in NFL history and is tied with Hall of Famer Otto Graham for the most first-team All-Pro selections (seven) ever among quarterbacks. Manning also retires with the most career regular-season victories of any quarterback in history with 186 (although Tom Brady is hot on his heels with 172 and is still going strong in New England).
No matter how you slice it, Manning put together a legendary run. With the exception of 2011—when he missed the entire season due to neck surgery—and 2015, he never missed a start in his NFL career. On the field, Manning was as consistently brilliant as anyone. So really, if you’re weighing his seasons against one another, you're really just measuring the varying degrees of awesome. Keeping that in mind, here is a look back at Peyton Manning's Seasons, Ranked.
17. 1998
Passing Stats: 326/575 (56.7 percent), 3,739 yards, 26 TD, 28 INT
Awards: All-Rookie First-team
Season Result: Missed playoffs
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Peyton’s worst NFL season came during his rookie year. Of course, he didn’t really have much to work with. After bottoming out the previous year and landing the No. 1 pick to select Manning, the Colts failed to improve record-wise, finishing with the same 3-13 record as they had the previous season. Manning’s 28 interceptions led the NFL, but the victory for any haters out there was about to become very short-lived.
16. 2001
Passing Stats: 343/547 (62.7 percent), 4,131 yards, 26 TD, 23 INT
Awards: None
Season Result: Missed playoffs
The 2001 season unofficially marked the birth of “Omaha,” as coach Jim Mora unleashed a no-huddle offense for the first time in Manning’s career. The Colts got off to a promising 4-3 start but dropped their next five games as Peyton threw 11 interceptions against only seven touchdowns. The faltering stretch cost them their season (and Mora his job). Brighter days, however, were just around the corner, and 2001 proved to be the last time in his entire career that Manning would miss the playoffs.
15. 2015
Passing Stats: 198/331 (59.8 percent), 2,249 yards, 9 TD, 17 INT
Awards: None
Season Result: Won Super Bowl 50
From both a physical and emotional standpoint, Manning’s final season was probably his roughest in the NFL. Sidelined by a foot injury for nearly half the season, the 39-year-old struggled when he did play. Of course, the Broncos’ outstanding defense propelled the team to victory week after week. Even as controversies swirled around him, Manning managed to block out the distractions and lead the Broncos to a very matter-of-fact victory in Super Bowl 50, allowing him to end his career in the most storybook way imaginable.
14. 2002
Passing Stats: 392/591 (66.3 percent), 4,200 yards, 27 TD, 19 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl
Season Result: Lost Wildcard playoff game
Coach Tony Dungy’s first season at the helm saw the Colts return to the playoffs after missing it a year prior. Although their robust 4-1 start was tempered by a three-game losing streak that brought them to .500, Manning’s remarkable consistency all year long—coupled with 1,700-plus receiving yards from Marvin Harrison—helped push the Colts to six wins in their final eight games to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Despite suffering a humbling 41-0 postseason loss to the Jets, the stage was set for a long run of offensive dominance.
13. 1999
Passing Stats: 331/533 (62.1 percent), 4,135 yards, 26 TD, 15 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl, Second-team All-Pro
Season Result: Lost Divisional playoff game
There would be no sophomore slump for No. 18, as Manning built on his solid rookie campaign and proved he was a force to be reckoned with for years to come. After starting the season 2-2, the Colts rattled off 11 wins in a row and finished 13-3 to win the AFC East and in the process, set a new record for best turnaround (they were 3-13 the previous year). For Manning, his 4,135 passing yards were tops in the AFC—as were his 26 touchdowns—and together, with Offensive Rookie of the Year Edgerrin James (1,553 rush yards and 13 TDs), they led the Colts’ offense to first in total points scored in the AFC. Unfortunately, Peyton’s first playoff game didn’t quite go according to plan, as the Colts dropped a heartbreaker at home, 19-16 to the eventual AFC Champion, Tennessee Titans.
12. 2000
Passing Stats: 357/571 (62.5 percent), 4,413 yards, 33 TD, 15 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl, Second-team All-Pro
Season Result: Lost Wildcard playoff game
The 2000 season has plenty of personal highlights for Manning, which includes a 430-yard, four touchdown performance on Monday Night Football in Week 3, as well as five total games of passing for at least 300 yards (tied for third in the NFL). Manning also led the Colts to a solid 10-6 record, which was good enough for his second playoff berth in as many years. While Manning’s playoff appearance would end in much the same way as it did the previous season, he established new career bests in multiple categories including yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage.
11. 2010
Passing Stats: 450/679 (66.3 percent), 4,700 yards, 33 TD, 17 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl
Season Result: Lost Wildcard playoff game
2010 was a record-setting year for Manning, although his team suffered an early round exit in the playoffs. Not only did he break Dan Marino’s regular season record for 300-plus yard passing games in a career (63), but he also set an NFL record with 450 total completions. Not to mention, Manning tallied a career-high in passing yards and attempts, leading the Colts to an NFL-record, ninth straight playoff berth.
10. 2007
Passing Stats: 337/515 (65.4 percent), 4,040 yards, 31 TD, 14 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl
Season Result: Lost Divisional playoff game
It’s hard to imagine Manning and the Colts getting off to a better start than they did through the first seven games of the 2007 season. The team was 7-0, and Peyton had already thrown for nearly 2000 yards and tossed 13 TD passes against just three interceptions. Despite a tough loss to New England (his long-time rival and kryptonite) in his team’s eighth game, Manning righted the ship and led the Colts to victories in six of their last seven games while throwing for 1,654 yards, 15 TDs, and just four interceptions.
9. 2005
Passing Stats: 305/453 (67.3 percent), 3,747 yards, 28 TD, 10 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl, First-team All-Pro, AFC Offensive Player of the Year
Season Result: Lost Divisional playoff game
Before the 2007 Patriots flirted with perfection, it was Manning and the Colts who made the 1972 Dolphins sweat it out. In 2005, Peyton led his team to a 13-0 start by being brutally efficient. While he finished “just” seventh in the NFL in passing yards, Manning was second best in completion percentage and touchdown passes. Plus, the Colts benefited from Edgerrin James’ monster season (1,500-plus rush yards, 13 TDs) and matching 1000-plus receiving yard campaigns from Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison. What could have been a Super Bowl season cruelly ended on a missed game-winning field goal attempt as time expired in their Divisional Playoff matchup with the eventual Super Bowl Champion, Pittsburgh Steelers.
8. 2014
Passing Stats: 395/597 (66.2 percent), 4,727 yards, 39 TD, 15 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl
Season Result: Lost Divisional playoff game
How absurd is it that a season in which Manning threw for over 4,500 passing yards and 35 TDs—a feat that has only been accomplished 18 times total in NFL history—is considered pretty standard? Really, 2014 was a tale of two seasons for Peyton. Through the Broncos’ first seven games, he completed 69 percent of his passes for 305 yards per contest, 22 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. Over the final nine, his numbers dwindled to 64 percent for 288 yards per game, 17 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Denver’s run ended with a disappointing playoff loss to Manning’s former team, and while some wondered if it signaled the end for No. 18, anyone who had watched him in the first half of the season knew he’d be back.
7. 2003
Passing Stats: 379/566 (67.0 percent), 4,267 yards, 29 TD, 10 INT
Awards: NFL co-MVP, First-team All-Pro, AFC Offensive Player of the Year, Pro Bowl
Season Result: Lost AFC Championship game
While Manning may have had to share his first MVP award with the late Steve McNair, it does nothing to diminish his incredible season. Setting the tone with a six-touchdown-pass performance against New Orleans in Week 4, Manning officially cemented his stardom in Week 5 with one of the greatest come-from-behind victories in NFL history. Trailing the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-14 with less than five minutes to go on Monday Night Football, Manning orchestrated a masterful comeback that culminated with a game-winning field goal in overtime, making the Colts the first team ever to win after trailing by 21-plus points with less than five minutes to go. But, Manning’s acrimony for the Patriots officially kicked into high gear during the playoffs, as he threw four interceptions in a loss that sparked a long-standing rivalry that finally ended with his retirement.
6. 2012
Passing Stats: 400/583 (68.6 percent), 4,659 yards, 37 TD, 11 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl, First-team All-Pro, AFC Offensive Player of the Year
Season Result: Lost Divisional playoff game
There was no shortage of uncertainty surrounding Peyton leading up to his first season with the Broncos. After missing all of 2011 following a series of neck surgeries, many openly wondered if the then 35-year-old would ever be the same player again. It didn't take Manning long to silence the critics, as he completed over 68 percent of his passes for 2,113 yards, 17 TDs, and four interceptions over his first seven games. While the Broncos' season would end in a heartbreaking overtime loss at home in the playoffs, 2012 was a clear statement from No. 18 that he still had plenty left in the tank.
5. 2008
Passing Stats: 371/555 (66.8 percent), 4,002 yards, 27 TD, 12 INT
Awards: NFL MVP, First-team All-Pro, AFC Offensive Player of the Year, Pro Bowl
Season Result: Lost Wildcard playoff game
Manning's third MVP season certainly did not get off to an auspicious start. The Colts sputtered to a 1-2 record, and Peyton threw for only three touchdowns against five interceptions over those first three games. But, both player and team turned things around in a big way, going 11-2 the rest of the way to secure their sixth straight season of 12-plus wins, an NFL record. Manning was simply sublime during the Colts' regular season-ending nine-game winning streak. He completed 72 percent of his passes for 2,248 yards, 17 TDs, and just three interceptions during that stretch, helping him secure the MVP award despite playing just one possession in the Colts' final game (they had already clinched a playoff spot).
4. 2009
Passing Stats: 393/571 (68.8 percent), 4,500 yards, 33 TD, 16 INT
Awards: NFL MVP, First-team All-Pro, AFC Offensive Player of the Year, Pro Bowl
Season Result: Lost Super Bowl XLIV
While his coach may have been different, the results for Manning in 2009 were nearly identical to the previous year: an MVP award and a wildly successful regular season for the Colts. Not only did No. 18 become the first player in NFL history to win four MVP awards, but he also got his team off to a 14-0 start. The Colts were on the cusp of 15-0, but coach Jim Caldwell decided to pull the team’s starters with 5:36 to go in the third quarter and Indy leading by five. The reserves gave up 19 unanswered points, and the team fell short of perfection. Despite employing the unpopular strategy of eschewing a potential record in favor of resting players, the move did pay off as Manning and the Colts reached the Super Bowl. However, they lost to a very formidable New Orleans Saints team.
3. 2004
Passing Stats: 336/497 (67.6 percent), 4,557 yards, 49 TD, 10 INT
Awards: NFL MVP, First-team All-Pro, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Pro Bowl, Pro Bowl MVP
Season Result: Lost Divisional playoff
Considering that Manning's MVP-winning, record-setting 49 TD pass season occurred before restrictions on defensive backs were tightened and the NFL truly became a pass-first league, this accomplishment may be one of the most remarkable of his entire career. He had four games with five-plus TD passes, and threw, at least, one touchdown pass in every game in which he attempted more than two passes (he sat nearly all of the regular season finale). Manning was excellent against Denver in the Divisional round, as he threw for 458 yards and four touchdowns. But once again, he couldn’t overcome Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
2. 2013
Passing Stats: 450/659 (68.3 percent), 5,477 yards, 55 TD, 10 INT
Awards: NFL MVP, First-team All-Pro, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Pro Bowl
Season Result: Lost Super Bowl XLVIII
Statistically, Manning's second season in Denver was the best of his career. Considering his age (37), and number of neck surgeries underwent (four), this makes little-to-no sense. Of course, we're talking about Peyton Manning and not some average football player.
Manning burst out of the gates, tossing a record-tying seven touchdown passes against the Ravens in Week 1. Manning never looked back as he absolutely tore the league apart all season long, setting NFL single-season records for passing yards, touchdowns, and team points (606) in the process. He also knocked off the Patriots en route to a Super Bowl appearance, but couldn’t overcome the Seahawks and their dominant defense.
1. 2006
Passing Stats: 362/557 (65.0 percent), 4,397 yards, 31 TD, 9 INT
Awards: Pro Bowl, Second-team All-Pro, Super Bowl MVP
Season Result: Won Super Bowl XLI
While his numbers weren’t quite as gaudy as other seasons and he didn’t win an MVP trophy, 2006 was Peyton Manning's finest hour for several reasons. The main one, of course, is that he won the first Super Bowl of his career, and in doing so, put a hard stop to the argument that he was only a great regular season quarterback. His come-from-behind AFC Championship victory over New England didn't just exorcise many of his demons; given the circumstances, it was probably the best single-game performance of his career. During the regular season, he had the highest QBR (85.4) and fewest interceptions of his entire career, rattling off nine straight wins to begin the 2006-2007 campaign. When you account for the numbers, accolades, and Super Bowl victory, it simply doesn’t get any better than 2006 Peyton Manning.
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