Peyton Manning could have lost his GOAT claim to the $500,000 scandal that rocked the NFL in 2011

Would Peyton Manning have had a strong case for being football’s G.O.A.T. if he hadn’t been targeted by a dirty hit in 2006?

Peyton Manning is widely considered to be a top 5 quarterback of all time in the NFL with few fans even ranking him as high as #1 over Tom Brady. Manning has 2 Super Bowl titles, 1 Super Bowl MVP, 5 regular season MVP awards, the most in NFL history, and led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns numerous times in his career.

However, Manning’s career has been far from injury free, as a reoccurring neck injury has hindered him through his prime and into his final days. This neck injury cost Manning multiple seasons with little to no practice and also surgery that kept him on the sidelines for a year.

This injury took place during a Week 7 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins in 2006. But there is more to it than what meets the eye.

The defensive coordinator of Washington at the time was Gregg Williams, infamously known for his role in Bountygate. Bountygate was a scandal that involved  Gregg Williams when he was later a defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints between 2009 and 2011. Williams was allegedly paying bounties to his players to cause injuries to the opponents.

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The Impact of the Hit on Peyton Manning’s Career

The gruesome hit on Peyton Manning gave him neck problems for the rest of his playing career. Manning’s efficiency and play on the field took a noticeable hit because of the Bountygate system players have accused Williams of using in Washington as well.

Bountygate cost the Saints $500,000, and the team forfeited their second round draft picks in 2012 and 2013. The scandal reportedly played out between 2009 (the year the Saints won the Super Bowl) and 2011.

After 4 seasons where Manning’s passing efficiency was lower than any season after his first MVP season, Manning elected to have surgery done. This surgery took him out for the entire 2011 season which concluded in the Colts releasing Manning. The Colts opted to go in a different direction with the #1 overall pick, selecting Andrew Luck, a quarterback out of Stanford.

Manning went on to have a record breaking 2013 season with the Denver Broncos, posting 55 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions, earning him his fifth MVP award. He later won his second Super Bowl in his last season in 2015, where he was only a fragment of his old self.

If not for the injury, could Manning have racked up one more MVP and a couple more Super Bowls? It isn’t for sure, but based on his play when he was healthy, it certainly is in the picture.

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