With a job as a television analyst waiting and a desire to move on to the next stage of his life, the wide receiver decided to retire from the National Football League.
He made the announcement with his family at the Broncos' complex. He started 13 games for the Buffalo Bills last season.
He was a member of the Broncos team that won the Super Bowl.
"I'm proud to tell you that I chased down this dream and it was a hell of a ride,'' he said, standing up.
He said he had a couple teams reach out to him to play this season but that his long-term health considerations and the death of his friend Demaryius Thomas factored into his decision. He agreed to be a television analyst, but he was not ready to make a formal announcement about his future.
The game of football is hard on the body, and I lost a close friend. I had a good job. I've been to a few Superbowls. I don't know what else I need to prove.
Two of the three 1,000-yard seasons were with the Broncos and one with Manning. The Broncos' free-agency binge of last year included safety T.J. Ward and defensive back Aqib Talib.
Manning's arrival in 2012 made him call Denver a wide receiver heaven. When John Elway called to tell him that he wasn't playing with Manning, he was in the Chiefs' complex.
I wanted to stay in Kansas City for three years, but they wanted me to stay for four. I was told that I could go to Denver, but I wanted to go back to my hotel. I wanted to get out there so I could celebrate that I'm going to play with him.
He had characterized the struggles of the Broncos as "living in a world of suck'' in the year before he was traded. He played for the New Orleans Saints in 2020 before moving on to the Buffalo Bills.
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