Denver Broncos should unretire No. 18 and give it to Peyton Manning, says Frank Tripucka, former owner of number

With Peyton Manning bound for Denver, it appears the only detail left to sort out — other than dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on his contract — is figuring out what number he’ll wear.

The Broncos retired No. 18 in 1986 when Frank Tripucka, the team’s first quarterback, was inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame and would have to unretire the number for Manning.

That, according to Tripuka, is fine with him.

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“(Manning) should have it,” Tripuka, 84, told the Associated Press last week. “Let’s give it to him.

“That was a pretty nice honor. But if Peyton wants the number, they should give it to him. They definitely should.”

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Tripucka’s number is one of only three that the Broncos have retired; the others belong to John Elway (7) and Floyd Little (44). Both Little and Elway — who brought Manning to the Mile High City — are in the Hall of Fame.

Manning wore No. 16 at Tennessee but switched to 18 when the Colts selected him with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft.


"He's a great quarterback," Tripucka, who is battling Alzheimers, told the AP. "He gets the job done. That's the important thing. As the quarterback, you've got to get the job done."

Tripucka led the AFL in passing during the team’s first year, 1960, with 3,038 yards. He also led the league in a less-glamourous category — his 34 interceptions were the most in the league that year.

Tripucka is the father of former NBA forward and current Knicks analyst on MSG Kelly Tripucka.