DENVER, CO – NOVEMBER 15: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos walks into the tunnel following the Broncos loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field Field at Mile High on November 15, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. The Chiefs defeated the Broncos 29-13. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Perhaps following in the footsteps of his general manager, John Elway, Peyton Manning plans to retire after the Super Bowl, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday.

Manning hinted at his retirement in a postgame interaction with Bill Belichick after the AFC Championship, saying this year could be his “last rodeo.” Appearing on NFL Network on Monday, Rapoport said Manning has indicated to close friends he plans to retire.

It seems to be a matter of when will Peyton Manning announce this will be his last game. Will he do it tonight, will he do it on the podium if the Broncos win or maybe after a couple of weeks?

“The reality is he let the cat out of the bag a little bit, telling Bill Belichick this may be his last rodeo. … “I also know he has told close friends that he expects this to be his last game as well.”

Manning is obviously one of the best quarterbacks of all-time, but his play slipped dramatically in 2015, throwing nine touchdowns against 17 interceptions. According to FiveThirtyEight, the five-time MVP actually had the worst season ever for a Super Bowl quarterback.

Whether or not it’s he who leads the Broncos to victory, Manning’s retirement after the Super Bowl would be reminiscent of Elway’s retirement after winning the 1998 title. More recently, former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis called it quits immediately following the 2005 Super Bowl.

Assuming Manning really is done after this season, we’ll see Sunday whether can go out on top the way Elway and Bettis did.

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.