Peyton Manning won’t be traveling to Arizona for the Super Bowl. He also won’t be going there for the Pro Bowl.
With not one but two thigh injuries and one of them being a “torn quad” (which really is the same thing as a quad strain), Manning is skipping the annual All-Star game, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
For Manning, who has played in more Pro Bowls than any quarterback in league history and who has lobbied teammates in the past to treat the game like something more than glorified two-hand touch, the injury isn’t a convenient excuse to avoid playing.
“It’s a great honor to be selected to the Pro Bowl, and I’ve always taken the obligation to play in it very seriously,” Manning said. “I’ve believed that, if healthy, it’s a player’s responsibility to play in the game because of what it means to be voted in by your peers and the fans.
“I’m disappointed that I’m just not healthy enough this year to be part of it. It’s going to be tough not being down there with the other guys, but it hasn’t had enough time to heal.”
Manning has missed only two Pro Bowls in his career; in both, he was preparing to play in the Super Bowl a week later.