It's Almost Official: Peyton Manning Is Retiring

Just one month after winning Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will announce his retirement from the National Football League. According to an initial report made by ESPN on Sunday morning, the longtime golden boy of the NFL will make things official on Monday. Manning, who is 39 years old, has been expected to retire since a series of injuries rocked his final season.

At the beginning of February, Manning led the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory, his second and the Broncos' third. Manning will retire as the only quarterback in NFL history to win the Super Bowl with two different teams. Although he has played for the Broncos since 2012, Manning previously spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, the team that helped him achieve the well known status that he enjoys today as one of professional football's greatest players.

It's no surprise that Manning is ready to retire. For one thing, he's the oldest player on the team, and one of the oldest in the league. In 2015, the average age of players on the Broncos' roster was 26 years. Most teams' oldest players are somewhere in their mid-thirties.

In addition to his age, Manning seems to be past his peak physical condition. Although he came out on top in the Super Bowl earlier this year, the Broncos' winning season was largely considered a victory in spite of Manning's weak performances, rather than because of his strong performances. In November, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, a former Broncos player himself, benched Manning in favor of back-up quarterback Brock Osweiler for a game against the Chicago Bears. Osweiler was drafted by the Broncos in 2012, the same year that Manning signed on with the team — but that game in November was Osweiler's first opportunity to start a game in the NFL. Once the season was all said and done, Osweiler had seven starts under his belt.

The news that Manning was expected to announce his retirement came from sources close to player, but the team may have also given some indication that an announcement is on the way. Osweiler's contract with the Broncos is set to expire on Wednesday, at which point he would become what's known as a "free agent" and allowed to sign with any team. On Friday, the Broncos reportedly offered Osweiler a generous contract extension for three years, valued at $45 million.

Granted, the Broncos likely would have been interested in extending Osweiler's contract with or without Manning on the 2016 roster. The offer does show, though, that it's time for the Broncos to start making decisions about their next season. Just a month after the final Super Bowl victory of his career, Manning seems to have made some decisions of his own.