Tom Brady had a legendary career with the New England Patriots – and Peyton Manning pushed him to the brink during many of those years.
The pair faced off a total of 22 times, with Brady holding an 11-6 edge in the regular season and Manning winning three of five meetings in the playoffs.
And more than two years after his retirement from the league, Brady has called Manning a ‘gift to my NFL career’ as he looked back on his rivalry with the former Colts (and briefly Broncos) star.
‘I maybe didn’t fully know it at the time, but I needed someone to look up to, who inspired me to be better, and who gave me a target to aim for,’ Brady wrote in his 199 newsletter.
‘Now when I see him, the only thing I can say is thank you. Thank you for challenging me to be the best I could be, to dig deep in March and April and May when nobody was watching, and to have expectations for myself that were above and beyond what others thought was possible.’
Brady, who ultimately won seven Super Bowl rings to Manning’s two, also outlined what preparing for a matchup against the Colts great looked like.
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning had a legendary rivalry during their playing days in the NFL
The pair are seen together at Hard Rock Stadium in 2020 at Super Bowl LIV for the 100 year team celebration
‘I knew, for example that when I played Peyton Manning, I had to be locked in all week and laser focused all game,’ he said.
‘I couldn’t have a single bad play against him. I knew that one interception could cost me a game. I knew that game could cost me home field advantage. I knew that home field advantage could cost us a chance to go to the Super Bowl.’
Brady, 47, referred to his battles with Manning as one of ‘two amazing rivalries’ he had been a part of, with the other being Michigan-Ohio State during his college days.
While Brady far outpaced Manning in terms of championships, the latter won more individual accolades during his career, as he won five MVPs to Brady’s three.
Nonetheless, Brady finished his career as the all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns (with Manning third in both categories), as he went on to play six more seasons than Manning.
With both now retired and working in the broadcasting space, Brady said his ‘respect, admiration, and appreciation for [Manning] as a competitor has grown with each passing year.’
Brady began a reported 10-year, $375million deal with Fox last year as the network’s lead NFL analyst, while Manning has founded production company Omaha and co-hosts the popular Monday Night Football ‘Manningcast’ for ESPN2.
Manning, who retired from the NFL in 2016, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, while Brady will surely be inducted in 2028 when he’s first eligible.
