Peyton Manning talking like he plans to play in 2016

The more time that passes without Peyton Manning announcing that he is retiring, the more it seems likely that he is going to play in 2016.

Manning gave a speech on leadership at the Florida Forum in Jacksonville Wednesday night, and he mostly avoided the subject of whether or not he will play next season. The most he did was crack a Papa John’s joke and say how much he enjoys his “current job.”

“I think the one reason I’ve enjoyed my current job so much is I’ve been all in on it,” Manning said, per Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com. “I have not thought much about anything else beside the job that I was currently employed to do.

“I understand we’re closer to that point in time now, but I felt like I owed it to the teams that I played for, I owed it to my teammates, my coaches, to the fans, that I was 100 percent all in on this current job. When that stops then I’ll kind of move to plan B.”

NFL Media’s Jeff Darlington attended the event, and he told PFT Live on Thursday that Manning did not sound like someone who is planning to call it a career.

“He did talk in present tense when he’s talking about his career,” Darlington said. “He sounds like a guy who still wants to play. He does not sound like a guy who is a week away from retirement.”

Manning basically has until March 8 before the Broncos are going to have to make a decision. We know they aren’t going to pay him the $19 million he is owed for 2016, and all indications are that they do not want him back.

Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that Manning wants to play in 2016 if the right situation presents itself. Some NFL executives are convinced he will, and they already have an idea of the most likely destination.

Common sense would tell you Manning will go out on top after winning his second Super Bowl. But if he still loves playing, there will undoubtedly be at least a few teams who are willing to give him a one-year deal.