Peyton Manning's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Peyton Manning.

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.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

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.

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: 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.

1987: Broke Jim McMahon's NFL record

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.

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: Senior Season Awards and Honors

In 1997, during his senior year, Peyton Manning won multiple awards, including the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Award, and Best College Player ESPY award. He was also the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and was elected to Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa.

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.

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.

2005: Tennessee Retires Manning's Number

In 2005, the University of Tennessee retired Peyton Manning's jersey number (16) and renamed a street leading to Neyland Stadium to Peyton Manning Pass, honoring his contributions to the university's football program.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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: Ranked second best player by his peers

In 2011, Peyton Manning was named the second best player by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.

2011: Ranked 50th by his peers

Peyton Manning was ranked 50th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012, despite not playing in the 2011 season.

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.

2012: Ranked 50th by his peers

Peyton Manning was ranked 50th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.

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.

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.

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: Ranked #1 in NFL Top 100

In 2014, Peyton Manning was ranked as the best player in the league by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

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: Ranked Fifth Best Player by Peers

In 2015, Peyton Manning was ranked as the fifth best player by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players list.

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.

July 2016: NFL Clears Manning of PED Allegations

In July 2016, the NFL cleared Peyton Manning of the allegations regarding Performance-enhancing drugs after finding no evidence to support the claims.

2016: Induction into Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame and Tennessean of the Year

In 2016, Peyton Manning was inducted into the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame and named the 2016 Tennessean of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, recognizing his achievements and contributions to the state.

October 7, 2017: Colts Statue Unveiling and Ring of Honor Induction

On October 7, 2017, the Colts unveiled a bronze statue of Peyton Manning outside Lucas Oil Stadium. Manning was also inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor.

2017: Elected to College Football Hall of Fame

In 2017, Peyton Manning was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, joining his father Archie, as the first father and son duo to be inducted as players, marking a significant milestone in his legacy.