Is Peyton Manning the greatest quarterback of all time? Or will he be?

To the first question — very possibly. To the second — absolutely yes.

Tall orders, both. But you watch him pass and move, feel him think, see him practically refuse to lose, and you have to blink.

First, Manning has to lead his Indianapolis Colts past Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints today in Super Bowl XLIV. That will take everything Manning’s got.

Then he has to keep measuring up to — and maybe pass, literally speaking — the exploits of Terry Bradshaw, Fran Tarkenton, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Johnny Unitas, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Roger Staubach, John Elway, Troy Aikman, Kurt Warner, and yes, Y.A. Tittle.

All those except Tarkenton, Kelly and Marino won Super Bowls. Kelly led the Buffalo Bills to four, losing all four, Tarkenton the same with three. Marino made one Super Bowl and lost.

Tittle was a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player without ever winning the championship, but he played on some tough San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants teams.

“Without Tittle,” novelist Irwin Shaw wrote, “the Giants couldn’t go from Grand Central to Times Square on the subway.”

And Manning?

“I haven’t seen all of them,” says Colts coach Jim Caldwell. “But, meaning no disrespect to anyone, I can’t imagine any better than Manning.”

Saints coach Sean Peyton has his own hope-to-be candidate some day in Drew Brees. But he, too, tacitly hands Manning an all-time laurel wreath by saying, “I have difficulty believing anybody has been a better passer than Peyton.”

You might be getting tired of reading and hearing about Manning. You might get a lot more tired before the week is over. He represents this Super Bowl’s imprimatur until and unless he loses. He’s a $200 million freak, a 6-6, 240-pounder who at 33 (coming up on 34, March 24) is speeding up more than slowing down.

Barring a significant injury or some sudden and unexpected decision to retire, Manning will own almost every all-time passing record.

I give him at least three to five more seasons before he retires, mainly because “I play because I love it,” as he says.