SANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Only a 400-yard, four-touchdown march to victory or a five-interception fall into despair was going to affect Peyton Manning’s legacy following Super Bowl 50. That he ended up having a fairly forgettable game and riding a strong defensive effort to his second Super Bowl ring was simply a narrative confirming itself.

If he does indeed retire now, Manning’s legacy ends with the extra championship he went searching for, but also without anything really gained.

On paper, Manning cemented his career as one of the best in NFL history. Over 71,000 passing yards. 539 touchdowns. Five MVP awards. 14 Pro Bowl nods. Four Super Bowl appearances. Two Super Bowl victories. A career 200 wins, including the playoffs.

When future generations scan the record books, they will find few quarterbacks who stack up statistically. But stats don’t tell the whole story and never do.

Just like Ted Cruz and Hilary Clinton, most people had already made up their mind about Manning and what he represents. For some, he’s a regular-season stat-maker who usually couldn’t get it done when it mattered. For others, he’s the prototype for the kind of quarterback, and NFL personality, that we should always want.

SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07:  Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos is handed the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10.  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Like so many other star athletes, he’ll always be compared to his contemporaries. Specifically, Tom Brady. He’ll never be able to match Brady’s Super Bowl rings. Even the idea that he had to leave his original franchise to play for another one is a perceived slight to some, especially next to New England Patriots-lifer Brady. In that sense, Manning can’t ever win. Not even by winning.

Those are macro concepts of Peyton Manning but even on a micro level he couldn’t win on Sunday. The Broncos are in the Super Bowl not because of Manning but because of their stout defense. That’s the narrative and one that the results confirmed. Between his diminishing skills and foot injury, Peyton’s impact on the team’s drive to their second Super Bowl appearance in three years was far less meaningful this time around. So even if he had played better in the championship, he didn’t “deserve” full credit. Or so it goes.

In a way, his two-point conversion pass with three minutes left to cement the 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers was the perfect encapsulation of his season. He threw the pass that sealed the deal but in reality his defense had already put the issue to bed. He’ll get the credit because the quarterback always does but those who watched the game know better.

Though the final seconds of CBS’ Super Bowl 50 broadcast might as well have been a PeytonCam, the truth is Manning probably could have been replaced by Brock Osweiler and the result would have been the same. When it came time to name game MVP, no one even stopped to consider Manning, nor should they have.

That’s the dichotomy that Manning’s legacy will have to endure from here on out. Even if Tom Brady never wins another Super Bowl, there will always be a “yeah, but” that those arguing over which one was better can’t deny. The idea that you feared Peyton in the October but welcomed him in January might not have always been true, but when the edges of our memories smooth out, that’s how it will seem.

In a way, his four-year stint in Denver is a Faustian deal for one more championship ring. Run out of Indianapolis for a younger model, he made a pact to join a franchise where he could never live up to the famous quarterback who was now his boss. And while he did get that coveted Super Bowl ring in the end, it didn’t come with a stellar performance or a classic Peyton Manning season attached to it. Like Clyde Drexler winning an NBA title with the Houston Rockets or Ray Borque winning a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, the championship counts, but it wasn’t really on his shoulders.

Of course we shouldn’t lose track of the fact that Manning did in fact win this Super Bowl. That should be commended and valued. But the truth is, five years from now, ten years from now, twenty years from now, it won’t make a difference in the way we’ll remember Peyton. Some will say he was great. Some will say he was very good. Which one is correct? It won’t really matter, will it?

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.