A timeline of Peyton Manning's 18-season NFL career:
April 18, 1998: Despite spirited pre-draft debate as to whether Manning or Ryan Leaf was the best player on the board, the Indianapolis Colts use the No. 1 pick on Manning.
Sept. 6, 1998: He passes for 302 yards, one TD and three INTs in his pro debut, a 24-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Oct. 4, 1998: He notches his first NFL victory, a 17-12 decision over Leaf's San Diego Chargers.
Dec. 27, 1998: Manning concludes the season by establishing rookie records for passing yards (3,739), TDs (26) and INTs (28), but the Colts finish 3-13. He would have a losing record just one more time in his career (2001).
Jan. 16, 2000: The Colts improve by 10 wins in Manning's second season, winning their division and a first-round bye. However Manning's playoff debut is a disappointment as he completes just 19 of 42 passes and fails to throw a TD in a 19-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Sept. 30, 2001: The Colts are trounced 44-13 by the New England Patriots. Manning throws three interceptions in the first of his 17 matchups against Pats QB Tom Brady.
Oct. 6, 2003: In one of his defining regular-season performances, Manning leads the Colts — who trailed 35-14 with five minutes to go — to a 38-35 overtime win over the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.
Jan. 4, 2004: Manning finally gets his first win in four playoff starts, posting a perfect 158.3 passer rating (22-for-26, 377 yards, 5 TDs) in a 41-10 wild-card throttling of the Denver Broncos.
Jan. 18, 2004: The Colts fall 24-14 to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the first time Manning — who was picked off four times — and Brady lock horns in the playoffs. New England would go on to win the Super Bowl, while Manning was named league MVP for the first time, a fitting microcosm of how he would be compared to Brady in future years.
March 2, 2004: The Colts and Manning agree to a seven-year, $98 million deal with a record signing bonus of $34.5 million. "I'm happy to be a Colt for life," said Manning. (More on that later.)
Dec. 26, 2004: Manning throws his 49th TD pass of the season, surpassing Dan Marino's 20-year-old NFL record.
Jan. 16, 2005: The Colts fall to the Patriots 20-3 in the divisional round as Manning is limited to 238 passing yards and an INT. Manning, who would again be named league MVP, would never lose another playoff matchup to Brady.
Oct. 18, 2005: Manning throws his 86th TD pass to Marvin Harrison, breaking the record forged by Steve Young and Jerry Rice for all-time scoring hookups between a quarterback and receiver. Manning and Harrison would eventually extend the mark to 112.
Sept. 10, 2006: In his first showdown with younger brother Eli, Manning throws for 276 yards and a TD as the Colts top the New York Giants 26-21. Peyton would go on to triumph in all three installments of the "Manning Bowl."
Jan. 21, 2007: Manning throws for 349 yards and a TD while leading the Colts back from a 21-3 second-quarter deficit to beat the Patriots 38-34 in the AFC Championship Game.
Feb. 4, 2007: The Colts win their first Super Bowl in 36 years, defeating the Chicago Bears 29-17, as Manning earns MVP honors after passing for 247 yards and a TD on a rainy night.
Jan. 24, 2010: Manning posts a pair of second-half TDs as the Colts come back to beat the New York Jets 30-17 in the AFC Championship Game.
Feb. 7, 2010: Manning throws a fatal pick-six with 3:12 to go as the Colts fall to the New Orleans Saints 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV.
March 3, 2010: The Colts announce Manning has surgery to relieve pain in his neck caused by a pinched nerve.
Jan. 8, 2011: The Jets upset the Colts 17-16 in the wild-card round in what would turn out to be Manning's final game in Indianapolis.
May 23, 2011: Manning undergoes surgery for a bulging disc in his neck. He'll have more neck procedures in the coming months that ultimately cost him the entire 2011 season, the first time he has missed games in his career.
July 30, 2011: With his prognosis still unclear, the Colts nevertheless sign Manning to a five-year, $90 million contract. He will earn a $28 million roster bonus if he's still with the club on March 8, 2012.
March 7, 2012: The Colts release Manning after 14 seasons.
March 20, 2012: Manning is introduced as the newest Bronco after agreeing to a five-year, $96 million deal. He replaces fan favorite Tim Tebow, who will later be traded to the Jets.
Sept. 9, 2012: In his Denver debut, Manning passes for 253 yards and two TDs in a 31-19 defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jan. 12, 2013: Due in large part to a late defensive collapse, the top-seeded Broncos lose their playoff opener 38-35 in double OT to the Baltimore Ravens. Manning throws for 290 yards, three TDs and two INTs.
Sept. 5, 2013: Manning throws for an NFL record-tying (and career-high) seven TDs and 462 yards on opening night of the regular season as the Broncos thrash the defending champion Ravens 49-27.
Oct. 20, 2013: In his first game at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium since his release from the Colts, Manning gets a thunderous ovation from the crowd and enjoys a video tribute from the Colts. However despite throwing for 386 yards and three TDs, he takes a physical beating from the Indy defense as the Broncos suffer their first loss of the season 39-33.
Dec. 22, 2013: Manning throws his 51st TD pass of the season, reclaiming the single-season record Brady wrested from him in 2007.
Dec. 29, 2013: With 266 yards and four TDs on the final day of the regular season, Manning establishes new single-season records with 5,477 passing yards and 55 TDs. The Broncos score a record 606 points and earn another No. 1 playoff seed.
Jan. 19, 2014: The Broncos advance to the Super Bowl after beating the Patriots 26-16 in the AFC Championship Game. Manning becomes the first quarterback to pass for 400 yards against Bill Belichick's Patriots in a playoff game.
Feb. 1, 2014: Manning wins his fifth league MVP award. No other player has ever won it more than three times.
Feb. 2, 2014: The Seattle Seahawks embarrass the Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. A dismal day for Manning starts with an errant snap on the first play from scrimmage that results in a safety for Seattle.
Oct. 19, 2014: Manning throws his 509th career TD pass, breaking Brett Favre's record, in a 42-17 drubbing of the San Francisco 49ers. His teammates play keepaway with the momentous football before surrendering it to Manning.
Jan. 11, 2015: Looking very much like a declining 38-year-old player, Manning is ineffective in a 24-13 divisional-round loss to the Colts, the ninth time Manning goes one-and-done in postseason and leaving him with an 11-13 playoff record.
March 5, 2015: Manning agrees to the first pay cut of his career, for $4 million. He can make all of the money back by winning the Super Bowl. (More on that later.)
Nov 15, 2015: Manning surpasses Favre's record of 71,838 career passing yards but is eventually benched for the first time in his career after throwing four interceptions in a 29-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Manning has been coping with shoulder and rib issues, but a torn plantar fascia will send him to the sideline for the next seven weeks.
Jan. 3, 2016: In the only relief appearance of his career, Manning replaces struggling Brock Osweiler to lead the Broncos past the San Diego Chargers for a fifth consecutive AFC West title while securing home-field advantage.
Jan. 24, 2016: Manning throws the final two TD passes of his career as the Broncos upset the Patriots 20-18 in the AFC Championship Game. It is Manning's third consecutive playoff win over Brady, however the Patriots star finishes with an 11-6 overall record against Manning.
Feb. 7, 2016: In his final game, Manning picks up his long-awaited second Lombardi Trophy as the defensively dominant Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Including playoffs, the win gives Manning 200 for his career, erasing another Favre record while getting Manning back above .500 (14-13) in postseason.
March 7, 2016: Manning announces retirement.
March 18, 2016: Colts owner Jim Irsay announces the team will retire Manning's No. 18 jersey and will build a statue of him outside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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PHOTOS: Peyton Manning through the years
