Manning completed 13 of 23 passes for 141 yards and an interception in Sunday's 24-10 Super Bowl victory over the Panthers. He was also sacked five times and fumbled twice, losing one.

EDGE Analysis

Unlike his first Super Bowl victory nearly a decade ago, Manning was much more of a secondary figure Sunday, largely managing the game while C.J. Anderson ran effectively and the Broncos defense wreaked havoc on Cam Newton and company. The five-time MVP's arm was not a liability, although Manning did not test it downfield often, with his longest completion going for only 25 yards. His one interception came with 4:23 left in the second quarter, when Manning failed to see the Panthers' Kony Ealy in front of Emmanuel Sanders at the Carolina 20-yard line. The miscue was notably Manning's first interception in his last 164 postseason passes. He also endured heavy pressure from an aggressive Panthers front, suffering five sacks and losing a fumble on a hit by Ealy at the Panthers 48-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Having now capped off a 2015 season marked by injury and persistent questions about his arm strength with a Super Bowl victory, the matter of Manning's willingness to play next season will remain a burning question until he addresses the matter definitively one way or the other. Further complicating the decision may be the fact that Manning has already been informed he will eventually need hip replacement surgery, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reported earlier this week.