The romanticized notion of going out on top with a Super Bowl win has a storybook pull that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will certainly feel as he considers whether to retire after 18 seasons. But even in that kind of best-case scenario, the deliberations that many NFL players go through before they get down to nitty-gritty details like actually saying the words "I'm done" aren't always easy.
Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian says after working with Manning for 14 seasons in Indianapolis, "I know the process he'll follow before making his decision.