Career Timeline of Peyton Manning: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Peyton Manning, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Peyton Manning, nicknamed "the Sheriff", is a retired American football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the NFL. He's widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, playing 14 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts and 4 for the Denver Broncos. Part of the Manning football dynasty, he is the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the older brother of Eli Manning. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, winning multiple awards and the 1997 SEC Championship.
1940: George Cafego Drafted First Overall
In 1940, George Cafego was drafted #1 overall, making him the first player from Tennessee to be drafted #1 overall. This record stood until Peyton Manning was drafted #1 overall in 1998.
1960: Started season with three consecutive games of at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions
In the 2010 season, in his third game, Peyton Manning threw 325 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, making the first time since 1960 a quarterback began a season with three consecutive games of at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions.
1961: Touchdown Rate Record Tied
In 2004, Peyton Manning's 9.9% touchdown rate for the season was tied for the sixth highest rate in NFL history (with George Blanda in 1961) and the highest by a quarterback in the 21st century.
1968: First Colts win in Pittsburgh since 1968
In a 2008 week 10 road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Manning led the Colts to a 24-20 victory, marking the first time the Colts had won in Pittsburgh since 1968, breaking a streak of 12 straight losses.
1969: Tying record
During the opening game of the 2013 NFL season, Peyton Manning became the sixth player in NFL history and the first since 1969 to throw seven touchdowns in a game against the Baltimore Ravens.
1984: Origination of AFC Offensive Player of the Week award
In 2008, Peyton Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 19th time, passing Dan Marino for the most all-time since the award was originated in 1984.
1984: Broke Jim McMahon's NFL record
In 2009, during week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Peyton Manning won his 23rd consecutive regular season game, breaking Jim McMahon's NFL record of 22 straight wins with the Chicago Bears from 1984 to 1987.
1984: Record-tying Performance
In the 1984 season, Peyton Manning had a record-tying performance. He passed for at least 400 yards in three games, matching Dan Marino's record. The team also had more 50-point games than any other team in NFL history, with three. Four Broncos receivers recorded at least ten touchdowns, an NFL record, and Manning set a season record with nine games with four or more touchdown passes.
1987: Broke Jim McMahon's NFL record
In 2009, during week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Peyton Manning won his 23rd consecutive regular season game, breaking Jim McMahon's NFL record of 22 straight wins with the Chicago Bears from 1984 to 1987.
1991: Threw a career-high 25 passes
During week 9 of 2009 against the Houston Texans, Peyton Manning threw a career-high 25 passes in the first quarter, which were the most in any opening quarter since 1991.
1993: National Player of the Year Awards
In 1993, Peyton Manning was named Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player-of-the-Year and Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club National Offensive Player-of-the-Year, recognizing his outstanding performance in high school football.
1994: First Collegiate Season
In 1994, Peyton Manning played his first collegiate season. He completed 89 of 144 passes for 1,141 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions, contributing to the team's 8-4 record and a victory in the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech.
1995: Sophomore Season at Tennessee
During the 1995 season, Peyton Manning led the Volunteers to a strong season, with their only loss against the Florida Gators. The Vols defeated Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl and ended the season ranked third. Manning finished the season with 2,954 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and came in sixth place in Heisman Trophy voting.
1996: Junior Season and Citrus Bowl MVP
In 1996, during his junior season, Peyton Manning led the Vols to a Citrus Bowl victory over Northwestern, where he was named MVP. He completed his degree in speech communication in three years and decided to stay at Tennessee for his senior year despite being predicted as the top NFL draft pick.
1997: SEC Championship Victory and Awards
In 1997, Peyton Manning led the Tennessee Volunteers to victory in the SEC Championship Game. During his senior year, he also won the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
1997: Avoiding 0-3 start at home since 1997
On October 12, 2008, Manning led the Colts to a 31-3 blowout win at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens to avoid their first 0-3 start at home since the 1997 season.
1998: Selected First Overall in NFL Draft
Despite concerns about his arm strength and mobility, Peyton Manning was selected first overall in the 1998 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
1998: Drafted by the Colts as First Overall Pick
In 1998, Peyton Manning was selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the first overall pick in the NFL draft, becoming the second player in Tennessee's history to receive this honor since 1940.
1998: Drafted by the Colts
In 1998, Peyton Manning was selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts, marking the start of his professional football career.
1998: Rookie Season with the Colts
In 1998, during his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning threw for 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns, setting five NFL rookie records and earning a spot on the NFL All-Rookie First Team, despite the team's overall struggles.
1998: First time throwing less than 4,000 yards since rookie season
In the 2005 season, Manning finished with 3,747 passing yards, marking the first time he threw for less than 4,000 yards since his rookie season in 1998.
1999: First Season with Colts
In 1999, Peyton Manning began his career with the Colts, leading them to a 13-3 record and an AFC East division title after a slow 1-2 start to the season. He passed for 4,135 yards and 26 touchdowns, earning Second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He also tied the NFL record for most game-winning drives with seven. The Colts, as the second seed, lost to the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round.
2002: Colts Make Playoffs
In 2002, Tony Dungy became Manning's head coach. The Colts finished the season with a 10-6 record and a playoff berth, with Manning passing for 4,200 yards and 27 touchdowns. However, they were defeated by the New York Jets in the Wild Card Round, marking Manning's third consecutive playoff loss to start his career.
2003: Comeback Victory Against Buccaneers
In 2003, the Colts began the season 5-0. In a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Colts overcame a 21-point deficit in the final five minutes to win 38-35 in overtime. Manning threw for 386 yards and led the game-tying and game-winning drives.
2004: Record-Breaking 2004 Season
In 2004, Manning had a record-breaking season, throwing for 4,557 yards, a 121.1 passer rating, and 49 touchdown passes. He was a unanimous first-team All-Pro selection and was named NFL MVP, drawing 49 of 50 votes. ESPN voted the 2004 season the second greatest passing season of all time in 2013. Football Outsiders also calculated that Manning had the best season for a quarterback, play-by-play, in 2004.
2005: Awards and Honors in 2005
In 2005, Manning came in second place for the MVP award to Shaun Alexander, ending his two-year streak. He was named the 2005 winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Manning was named first-team All-Pro for the third consecutive year and named to the Pro Bowl squad.
2005: Colts Start Season 13-0
In 2005, the Colts started the season with 13 consecutive wins, aided by an improved defense. Manning threw for 3,747 passing yards, his first time under 4,000 yards since 1998. His quarterback rating of 104.1 was the highest in the league for the season.
September 10, 2006: First Manning Bowl
On September 10, 2006, Peyton Manning's Colts defeated Eli Manning's Giants in the first "Manning Bowl" by a score of 26–21.
2006: Win Against Eli Manning
In 2006, Manning opened the season against his brother Eli and the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. The Colts won 26-21, in the first NFL game with starting quarterback brothers.
March 24, 2007: Hosted Saturday Night Live
On March 24, 2007, Peyton Manning hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live for his 31st birthday. The episode earned the show's highest household rating in over 10 months.
September 2007: Children's Hospital Renamed
In September 2007, St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis renamed its children's hospital to Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent.
2007: Loss to San Diego Chargers in the Wild Card Round
In 2007, the Colts faced the San Diego Chargers in the Wild Card Round. Despite Manning's touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne, the Chargers tied the game and won in overtime, ending the Colts' season. Manning completed 25 of 42 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
2008: Named NFL MVP for the third time
At the end of the 2008 season, Peyton Manning was named NFL MVP for the third time, tying Brett Favre for the most MVP awards in NFL history.
2008: Comeback Victory against Texans
In 2008, with the Colts having a 1-2 record, Peyton Manning led the Colts back from a 27-10 deficit in the last five minutes against the Houston Texans to a 31-27 victory. The Colts scored three touchdowns in just over two minutes.
2009: Awarded fourth MVP
At the end of the 2009 regular season, Peyton Manning was awarded his fourth MVP, breaking the NFL record for most MVPs by a single player. He also finished the regular season tying his then NFL record with seven game-winning drives in 2009.
2009: Pro Bowl Appearance
In 2009, Peyton Manning faced his brother Eli in the Pro Bowl, which was won by the NFC.
2009: Guest Voiced on The Simpsons
In 2009, Peyton Manning guest voiced on an episode of The Simpsons called "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?" with his brothers Eli and Cooper.
2009: Started the season with three consecutive wins
In 2009, under new head coach Jim Caldwell, Peyton Manning started the season with three consecutive wins and won AFC Offensive Player of the Month for the fourth time in his career. In week 4, against the Seattle Seahawks, Manning threw 353 yards and two touchdowns for his fourth consecutive 300-yard passing game, setting a new franchise record in the 34–17 win.
September 19, 2010: Second Manning Bowl
On September 19, 2010, Peyton Manning and the Colts beat Eli Manning's Giants in the second "Manning Bowl" by a score of 38–14.
2010: Final Season as Colts Starting Quarterback
2010 was Peyton Manning's last full season as the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. After this season, he underwent neck surgery.
February 15, 2011: Franchise tag placed on Manning
On February 15, 2011, the Colts placed their franchise tag on Peyton Manning.
July 30, 2011: Signed 5-year contract with the Colts
On July 30, 2011, Peyton Manning signed a 5-year, $90 million contract with the Colts.
2011: Tom Brady's 2011 record
Against the Raiders in week 3 of 2013, Peyton Manning broke the record for most touchdown passes in the first three games of a season after throwing 12, surpassing Tom Brady's 2011 record.
2011: Sidelined by Neck Injury
In 2011, Peyton Manning was sidelined for the entire NFL season due to a neck injury, which eventually led to his departure from the Indianapolis Colts.
2011: Did not play a single game
Peyton Manning did not play a single game in the 2011 season due to injury, and the Colts went 2–14 without him.
March 7, 2012: Released by the Colts
On March 7, 2012, Peyton Manning was released by the Colts as they prepared for the upcoming draft and a rebuild of the team.
March 20, 2012: Agreement with the Broncos on a five-year contract
On March 20, 2012, Peyton Manning reached an agreement with the Denver Broncos on a five-year contract worth $96 million.
2012: Joins the Denver Broncos
In 2012, Peyton Manning joined the Denver Broncos after being released by the Colts, marking a new chapter in his NFL career.
2012: Regular season debut as a Denver Bronco
In 2012, Peyton Manning made his regular season debut as a Denver Bronco against the Pittsburgh Steelers, completing 19-of-26 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He posted a 129.2 QB rating in the 31–19 win.
February 2, 2013: Awarded AP National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award
On February 2, 2013, Peyton Manning was awarded the AP National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award, named a first-team All-Pro selection, and finished second in MVP voting.
September 15, 2013: Third Manning Bowl
On September 15, 2013, Peyton Manning and the Broncos beat Eli Manning's Giants in the third and final "Manning Bowl" 41–23.
2013: Threw seven touchdowns
During the opening game of the 2013 NFL season, Peyton Manning became the sixth player in NFL history and the first since 1969 to throw seven touchdowns in a game against the Baltimore Ravens.
2013: Exceeded in the following season
In 2012, Peyton Manning set single-season franchise records for pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and touchdowns in the 2012 season, each of these milestones he would surpass again in 2013.
2013: Greatest Passing Season
In 2013, ESPN voted Manning's 2004 season the second greatest passing season of all time.
October 5, 2014: Stellar Performance Against Cardinals
On October 5, 2014, Manning threw for a career-high 479 passing yards against the Arizona Cardinals, tied his career-high with an 86-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, threw his 500th career touchdown pass to Julius Thomas, and tied Dan Marino for the most 400-yard games by a quarterback in a 41–20 victory.
October 19, 2014: All-Time Leader in Passing Touchdowns
On October 19, 2014, against the San Francisco 49ers, Peyton Manning threw his 509th career touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, passing Brett Favre to become the NFL's all-time leader in passing touchdowns.
2014: Andrew Luck broke franchise record
In 2011 during week 14, against the Tennessee Titans, Peyton Manning went over 4,000 passing yards for the 11th time in a season, and tied Dan Marino with his 63rd regular season game with at least 300 passing yards. Manning's passing yards were a franchise record until it was broken by Andrew Luck in 2014.
2014: NFL Record for Career Touchdown Passes
In 2014, Peyton Manning held the NFL record for career touchdown passes, a record he maintained until 2019.
2015: Final Season with the Broncos
2015 was Peyton Manning's last season with the Denver Broncos before retiring from professional football.
2015: Career Achievements and Records
By the end of the 2015 season, Peyton Manning had achieved a career winning percentage of .702 in the regular season. He also held the career passing yards record from 2015 to 2018.
2015: Super Bowl 50 Victory and Retirement
In 2015, Peyton Manning concluded his NFL career with a Super Bowl 50 victory as quarterback for the Denver Broncos. This win made him the first starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl for more than one franchise.
2015: Super Bowl Victory with the Broncos
In 2015, Peyton Manning's final season concluded with a Super Bowl victory with the Denver Broncos, despite it being statistically his weakest season. The Broncos' No Fly Zone defense greatly contributed to the win.
February 7, 2016: Super Bowl 50 Victory
On February 7, 2016, Peyton Manning's Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24–10 in Super Bowl 50. Manning finished the game 13-of-23 for 141 yards and one interception. He became the oldest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl at age 39.
March 7, 2016: Retirement Announcement
On March 7, 2016, Peyton Manning announced his retirement from the NFL after 18 seasons. He also received the 2016 ESPY Icon Award.
2016: Tied Game-Winning Drives Record
In 1999, Peyton Manning's seven game-winning drives were tied for the most in NFL history until the 2016 season, when Matthew Stafford had eight.
July 12, 2017: Hosted ESPY Awards
On July 12, 2017, Peyton Manning hosted the 2017 ESPY Awards.
October 8, 2017: No. 18 Jersey formally retired
After being released by the Colts, Irsay announced that no Colt will ever wear the No. 18 jersey again. However, it would not be formally retired until October 8, 2017.
2017: Voiced Guapo in Ferdinand
In 2017, Peyton Manning voiced Guapo in the movie Ferdinand.
December 2020: Peyton's Places Renewed
In December 2020, Peyton Manning's documentary series about football, Peyton's Places, was renewed for a third season on ESPN+.
2021: Hosted College Bowl Revival
In 2021, Peyton Manning hosted a revival of the quiz show College Bowl, with his brother Cooper as his "sidekick".
2021: Hosted Manningcast
In 2021, Peyton and Eli Manning began hosting an alternative broadcast of Monday Night Football called the Manningcast on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
January 29, 2022: Appeared on Saturday Night Live Weekend Update
On January 29, 2022, Peyton Manning appeared on Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, hosted by Willem Dafoe.
2022: College Bowl Renewed
In 2022, College Bowl, hosted by Peyton Manning, was renewed for a second season.
2022: Peyback Foundation Scholarships
In 2022, the Peyback foundation teamed up with Georgia Tech to launch a scholarship in honor of Manning's former Broncos teammate Demaryius Thomas. The foundation also launched scholarships at six historically black colleges and universities.
2023: Joined University of Tennessee as a Professor
In 2023, Peyton Manning joined the University of Tennessee as a professor in the College of Communication and Information.
June 3, 2025: Joined NWSL Team Ownership
On June 3, 2025, it was announced that Peyton Manning would join the ownership group of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team Denver Summit FC.
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