Peyton Manning statistically had one of the worst rookie campaigns in NFL history: Looking back at the Colts legend's 1998 season and career
There can be no doubt that Peyton Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. When he was selected with the first-overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1998 NFL Draft, he was considered one of the most NFL-ready quarterbacks in history.
His father, Archie Manning, was a long-time NFL quarterback himself and Peyton Manning was expected to carry on his legacy. There were some concerns about his arm strength and mobility, but these were quickly ignored.
But the 1998 season did not turn out to be exactly the way Colts fans would have envisaged. He threw 28 interceptions, which broke the 56-year-old record of 27 for most interceptions by a rookie in a season. The Colts ended up with a disappointing 3-13 record and Manning a 71.2 quarterback rating.
That the Colts persevered with him beyond that season was not a surprise either. He had 3,739 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns in his rookie season. The touchdown passes set a new record for the most by a rookie. Also, most of their losses could be chalked down to a weak defense that gave up 27 points on average that season.
Their faith was rewarded in the coming years, when Peyton Manning blossomed into arguably the greatest quarterback one has ever seen.
Peyton Manning's career with the Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning, beyond his rookie season, was phenomenal for the Indianapolis Colts. In his sophomore campaign, he turned the franchise around and led them to a 13-3 record, a mirror inversion from the previous season. He also threw for 4,135 yards and 26 touchdowns against 15 interceptions. That was the first time he was in an MVP conversation and he would only get better from there.
While he was with the Indianapolis Colts, he won four NFL MVP awards, which set a record. In addition to his rookie season and 2005, he threw for more than 4,000 yards every single season. He never had a single season in Indianapolis where he threw for less than 25 touchdowns. The 2004 campaign was his most productive, when he threw for 49 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. His 4,557 yards that season were also the most with the Colts.
He also brought the Indianapolis Colts their first ever Super Bowl win in that city when they defeated the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI (February 2007). Manning also won the Super Bowl MVP award in that game. It changed the landscape for Indiana and football. It established the franchise in the city and the state, which had previously been dominated by the basketball market and the Indiana Pacers.
“@SportsCenter: #Colts numbers since moving to Indianapolis with & without Peyton Manning: http://t.co/Kk42Kzse” stats don't lie @JimIrsay
But as all the good stories go, it did come to an end in 2011. Peyton Manning missed an entire season following neck surgery. The Colts dearly missed him and collapsed, ending up with the number one overall pick in the forthcoming draft.
Just like in 1998, there was another NFL-ready quarterback in that class, Andrew Luck. Peyton Manning was 34 and no one knew how effective he would be coming back from surgery. The Colts decided to bail on him and signed Luck instead.
It spelled the end for Peyton Manning in Indiana and pushed him to Denver. But his story did not turn out too badly there either, as he won one more NFL MVP award and another Super Bowl before retiring in 2016.
Luck himself played well for the Colts before announcing his retirement in 2019. Both parties came out of the arrangement with some positives and some negatives. While Peyton Manning's time with the Colts lasted, it was glorious. So glorious, in fact, that there is a statue of him outside the stadium.
