Manning, Johnson in Hall on 1st ballot

Peyton Manning is heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an allbutpreordained honor for a quarterback who helped redefine offense in the 21st century.

The son of twotime Pro Bowl QB Archie Manning and brother of twotime Super Bowl champion Eli Manning will be joined later this year in Canton by another firstballot selection, Calvin Johnson — aka “Megatron” — his mere nine years of playmaking excellence with the Lions more than enough to convince the panel.

Also making it was guard Alan Faneca, who made nine Pro Bowls and missed only one game over 13 seasons with the Steelers, Jets and Cardinals; former Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson and former Bucs and Broncos safety John Lynch.

Former Raiders coach Tom Flores, Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson and longtime Steelers scout Bill Nunn made it in the coach, senior and contributor categories, respectively.

Peyton Manning, who played for the Colts and Broncos, held or shared 12 NFL passing records when he retired in 2015 after winning his second Super Bowl title. One of those records — his 55 touchdown passes in 2013 — still stands as the league’s singleseason record. His five MVP awards have also not been matched, and his 71,940 yards and 539 touchdown passes have been surpassed only by Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Manning spent his first 14 years in Indianapolis, where he won his first Super Bowl. Then, after a series of delicate neck surgeries, he made a comeback in Denver.

Johnson made six Pro Bowls in nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He caught 731 passes and scored 84 touchdowns. He was an AllPro three times, and his 1,964 yards receiving in 2012, an average of 123 yards a game, still stands as the NFL singleseason record. He had five games with 200plus yards receiving.

Much like another Lions Hall of Famer, Barry Sanders, Johnson retired unexpectedly in the prime of his career — at age 30.