Jets' Brandon Marshall compares Peyton Manning to Kobe Bryant

Peyton Manning and Kobe Bryant have a couple things in common. They've both won championships, MVP awards, and are easily up there among the greatest players in their respective sports. They also share something else, which is happening to both of them right now.

They're both on a steep decline.

Bryant announced in December that this season would be his last in the NBA, and there's been tons of speculation that Manning could retire after this year. Watching Bryant and Manning play in the present day has been painful, to put it nicely.

New York Jets wide receiver compared Manning's decline to Bryant's on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" last night.

“It kind of reminds me of watching Kobe Bryant, right?” Marshall said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “These last couple of years you’ve seen the guy really hit a wall. These are legends, living legends, and all of a sudden, they can’t do it anymore physically.”

To Manning's credit, he's one win away from reaching the Super Bowl despite the fact he missed a handful of games and he is clearly not the player he once was. Bryant, on the other hand, is on a terrible Lakers team that is likely to finish in the top 5 in this year's NBA Draft Lottery. And they may not even have their first round pick this year. HAHA! BRAD STEVENS FOR PRESIDENT!

Getting back on track here, though, Marshall said he is rooting for Manning to win it all.

“But I am a huge Peyton Manning fan,” he continued. “I am a fan of the redemption story, so hopefully he goes out there and wins and makes it to a Super Bowl.”

It would be a nice story to see Manning to potentially go out on top as a champion. But with the Patriots standing in his way, I obviously hope that doesn't happen.

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