The Night Peyton Manning Hit Rock Bottom

Published on August 17th, 2025 5:06 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


Peyton Manning is remembered as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. But on November 15, 2015, against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had the worst game of his career.

Manning entered the game just three yards short of breaking Brett Favre's all-time passing record. He got it in the first quarter. The milestone was quickly forgotten.

The rest of the day was a nightmare. Manning completed just 5 of 20 passes for 35 yards. He threw four interceptions. His passer rating was 0.0. He was pulled from the game in the third quarter, replaced by Brock Osweiler.

It was the first time in 20 years that Manning had been benched due to performance. The Broncos lost 29-13 at home. Fans were stunned. Analysts questioned if his career was finished. Manning himself admitted he should not have been playing due to plantar fasciitis.

Osweiler started the next several games. Denver relied on its defense, led by Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, while waiting for Manning to recover.

Then came the turnaround. Manning returned late in the season, helped guide Denver through the playoffs, and capped his career with a victory in Super Bowl 50. He finished with two Lombardi Trophies, 71,940 career passing yards, and 539 touchdown passes.

The contrast between November 15, 2015, and February 7, 2016, is staggering. Manning went from a career-low 0.0 passer rating to managing the game in a 24-10 Super Bowl win. Denver's defense sacked Cam Newton seven times and forced four turnovers. Manning, though far from his prime, became the first quarterback to win Super Bowls with two different franchises.