Peyton Manning may now ponder retirement as Luck looks ahead with Indianapolis Colts

Question marks over the future of one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time dominated the aftermath of the Indianapolis Colts’ deserved play-off victory at the Denver Broncos late Sunday night.

The potential of a changing of the guard dominated the build-up as the young Colts playmaker Andrew Luck went into the clash at the home of his predecessor Peyton Manning with high hopes of causing an upset.

But, after securing a relatively straightforward 24-13 win against last season’s Super bowl runners-up, Luck can now prepare for a trip to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game while Manning may contemplate retirement with his 40th birthday around the corner and the revelation yesterday he played the final section of the season carrying a thigh injury. There were conflicting reports of the severity of the injury but there was no doubt what had been a strong season for Denver tapered off as the veteran quarterback’s effectiveness diminished.