Imrem: Will Manning keep playing or retire?

The Super Bowl game is over and now the Super Bowl of suspense begins.

Will he or will he: Will Peyton Manning continue to play or will he retire after 18 NFL seasons?

"I don't know the answer to that," Manning said of his future.

With an ancient body and weakened arm, Manning helped Denver beat Carolina 24-10 Sunday night in Super Bowl 50.

This wasn't vintage Manning, who was more a game manager than gunslinger.

But just as a Broncos' running game boosted John Elway to a championship in his final game, the Denver defense boosted Manning to this one.

So now what?

If Manning's performance was any indication, he's gone: Too many fluttering passes.

No wonder the consensus of guesses is that Manning will retire.

After all, Manning is the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl and he was beaten up so much during the season that his status for these playoffs was in doubt.

Why would a 39-year-old with enough money to support several future generations, who is a lock for the Hall of Fame, who has won 200 NFL games including two Super Bowls ...

Why would that guy consider playing another season?

For starters, one reason is that Peyton Manning is a football player from the old-school first family of football and old-school football players play football.

That is what they do. They play football as well as they can for as long as they can and worry about the rest later.

Remember, in his mid-30s and coming off multiple neck surgeries, Manning signed with the Broncos and played in two more Super Bowls over four seasons.

Then there's new-school Detroit Lions' superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who is expected to extend an NFL trend of younger players retiring to preserve what's left of their bodies.

Manning might resist joining Johnson because at 39, the foundation already has been laid if he's going to suffer football's aftershocks of brain trauma.

Last week Manning was asked about the late Ken Stabler, who is the first quarterback diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Manning dodged the question of brain disease and instead spoke of an old-school NFL ailment.

A couple years ago, Manning said, a doctor told him that he eventually would need a hip replacement.

Manning's exasperating response went something like, "Doc, I don't need to know at 37 that I'm going to need a new hip at 52."

Funny stuff, huh, at least funnier than concussion jokes?

Another reason Manning might want to play another season is that he's addicted to a game he has been playing forever.

A final reason is Manning's father, Archie, played quarterback for 15 NFL seasons and is alive and lucid at age 66.

Hey, any football player can talk himself into believing anything that he wants to believe.

Manning can ignore that defenders talk about trying to knock quarterbacks out of games, ignore this season's increase in concussions and ignore all the dangers of football.

Manning can trick himself into agreeing with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who said there are risks to sitting on the couch.

Look, any human has to be insane to play football in the first place and it's difficult to predict how long he'll want to keep playing.

So Peyton Manning probably will retire ... but nobody should be shocked if he doesn't.

mimrem@dailyherald.com