“Great Person, Great Smile”: Peyton Manning Pained by Loss of Ex-Broncos Teammate

Published 12/23/2022, 4:26 PM EST

The NFL lost a Super Bowl champion recently. Ex-Denver Broncos running back, Ronnie Hillman, passed away on the 21st of December 2022. The running back was 31 years of age. Messages of condolences flooded in from the NFL community. Fans and players alike have been sending condolences to those close to Hillman. Chief among them has been Hillman’s ex-teammate, Peyton Manning.

The duo played together when they joined the Denver Broncos. Notably, the QB-RB duo had major success as they both went on to win a championship and reportedly had a well-meaning professional relationship.

Peyton Manning mourns Ronnie Hillman’s passing away

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The ex-Broncos quarterback had taken to Instagram to share his thoughts. He had shared a couple of pictures, captioned with an emotional message that indicated his somber emotions after the loss.

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A post shared by Peyton Manning (@peytonmanning)

The quarterback had nothing but love for the young soul. He mentioned that he was honored to be teammates with Hilman and bid him a peaceful rest. He also said via Instagram, “We joined the Broncos the same year. Honored to be your teammate for four years in Denver. Great player, great person, great smile. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.”

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The running back was beloved by the cities he played in, especially Denver. Thousands of fans mourned the death of the young player. The running back suffered from a rare disease. He suffered from renal medullary carcinoma.

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Fans mourn the passing away of Hillman

Hillman’s family revealed that the running back had been suffering from renal medullary carcinoma (RMC). RMC is a rare but aggressive cancer that affects the kidneys. After the news, Broncos and NFL fans mourned alike, showcasing their support for Hillman’s family and their love for the player.

Peyton Manning’s kind words and love for Hillman were heart-wrenching. The passing away definitely took the NFL community by shock and sadness. One can only hope that Ronnie Hillman is now in a better place, surrounded by only peace and no pain.

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Written by:

Aditya Rajput is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Advertising and Branding from FLAME University. His favorite player is Tom Brady, the best quarterback to play the game in his opinion, but his favorite team is Brady's Super Bowl kryptonite, the New York Giants.

Edited by:

Deepika Bhaduri

“Great Person, Great Smile”: Peyton Manning Pained by Loss of Ex-Broncos Teammate

Peyton Manning mourns Ronnie Hillman’s passing away

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Fans mourn the passing away of Hillman