Quarterback Peyton Manning did what people thought was impossible in this stage of his career and is now advancing to the 2016 Super Bowl.

The Denver Broncos’ quarterback came off a six-week injury from a torn plantar fascia in week 16 of the regular NFL season to help advance his team to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Now after a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers and another match-up against quarterback Tom Brady, the sheriff is back to fight for a Lombardi trophy in sunny Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 7 against the Carolina Panthers.

The last time Manning faced the Carolina Panthers was in 2012; it was his first season with Denver after returning from his neck injury. Denver won, 36-14, over the Panthers, but both teams have undergone changes since then, with the Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton in the running for the league’s MVP this year and the Broncos No. 1 defense.

The Manning vs Brady match-up was the fifth time they met for the AFC Championship and was quite possibly the most talked about match-up in the NFL today. NFL experts have speculated and assumed this was the last match-up we would ever see of the two quarterbacks with retirement on Manning’s horizon. After the win on Sunday, Manning is now 3-2 against Brady in the playoffs.

“No question, this is a sweet day; this was a sweet victory,” said Peyton Manning at his press conference after the 20-18 win over New England. “To me, this victory is a great example of what this entire season has been like. It hasn’t been easy.”

Manning will be the oldest quarterback, at age 39, in NFL history to play in the Super Bowl. The current record holder is John Elway, who played in the 1999 Super Bowl at age 38 and now owns the Denver Broncos.

This will be the fourth time Manning is going to the Super Bowl with four different coaches and the second time to take Denver in the last three years. He is the only quarterback to take multiple teams to multiple Super Bowls. His previous Super Bowl win was in 2006 against the Chicago Bears to bring the trophy back to Indianapolis.

NFL experts and fans counted Peyton Manning out after his four neck surgeries sat him out a whole season when he played for the Colts. Now the five-time MVP player has set almost all possible records and is returning to America’s biggest game for the second time after his injury to keep his doubters quiet.

This game could be the last for the veteran quarterback before he rides off into the sunset of retirement, but Peyton Manning will be done with football when he is ready to be done. The real question is: Will the NFL be ready to say goodbye to Manning when he is done?