Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, 39, has had one of his more difficult seasons in the NFL.
He had to battle through a torn plantar fascia and strained rib injuries. He missed seven games as backup Brock Osweiler established himself as Manning’s eventual successor with a 5-2 record.
This could be the final game of his storied career.
“I am focused on this game,” Manning said. “Like I have said all week long and really the past couple weeks, I am trying to focus on the task at hand and focus on what is on our plate and not get too far ahead.”
He signed with the Broncos at age 35, after playing for the Colts for 14 seasons.
He’s set to make his fourth Super Bowl appearance and his second with Denver. He’s 1-2 in the Super Bowl, which includes a 43-8 spanking by Seattle two years ago.
“I am excited to be in this game and have this opportunity, and I am going to keep my focus just on that,” Manning said.
He knows that he has limitations now. There will be a time for him to reflect on his legacy.
“It is about learning to adjust, learning to adapt,” Manning said. “Using the baseball analogy, the guy that used to throw 95-plus as he gets older, maybe he can’t still throw that same fastball, but he can work the corners of the plate and still strike a guy out. I feel like I can still move the chains. Maybe in different ways. That is being flexible and being able to adjust. I think that has served me well.”
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