SI.com · Feb 8, 2016
LIVE: Super Bowl 50
The most trying season of Peyton Manning's storied career could end up being his most rewarding. After 18 years in the NFL, it might also be his last.
For Cam Newton, his breakout fifth season may have signaled he's ready to take the torch from a guy like Manning and become one of the league's next great quarterbacks.
Though the imposing defenses of Manning's Denver Broncos and Newton's Carolina Panthers expect to play significant roles, the outcome of Super Bowl 50 could very well be determined by two stars - drafted No. 1 overall 13 years apart - at the opposite ends of their careers on Sunday in Santa Clara, California.
"Oh, wow," said Newton, who turns 27 in May. "Playing 'The Sheriff.'"