Way Back Wednesday: Remembering Peyton Manning's debut vs. the Bears

[Miles]

Manning was a marvel for the Broncos — which, in a manner of speaking, is to say he was just Peyton Manning, as he was always a marvel.


That Bears game was without great distinction, but it set him on a path that ended with Manning being named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2012, finishing second in the Most Valuable Player voting, a title that he would claim the following year.


At the time of his retirement, Manning held a litany of NFL records, many of which he set or added to while in the Mile High City.


He retired as a two-time Super Bowl champion with career records for passing touchdowns (539), passing yards (71,940), passing touchdowns in a season (55), passing yards in a season (5,477), most regular-season MVP awards (five), most TD passes in a game (seven, tied with others), most Pro Bowl selections (14), most career game-winning drives (54), and he of course led the NFL a number of times in a number of other categories.


He certainly made his case as the greatest free-agent signing of all time, and there is no question he is the greatest free agent in Broncos history.


This is the 60th year of play for Denver, and for a full third of the franchise’s existence, the quarterback has been either Hall of Famer John Elway (16 years) or future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (four).


So while that August game at Soldier Field was itself not very eventful, it was dripping with significance in terms of Peyton Manning being a Bronco and taking the field once again.


But the Broncos' history with the Bears actually dates back all the way to 1965 — but not on the playing field — and it was eight years before Denver ever fielded a winning team.


That was the year the Broncos drafted Dick Butkus, two-time consensus All-American linebacker from the University of Illinois. Perhaps the greatest middle linebacker of all time, Butkus was a Chicago native and an Illinois boy through and through.