Tom Brady Breaks Down Peyton Manning’s Ability to Salvage Bad Throws After Mourning With Colts Legend

It wasn’t a spiral that caught the eye. It was the result. Wobbly, lopsided, almost awkward in the air—yet right on target. Over and over again. That was Peyton Manning at his peak. Not the flashiest ball, not the tightest spin, but somehow always exactly where it needed to be. And as Tom Brady recently admitted, even he had to stop and appreciate the art behind the imperfection. A rare nod from one football giant to another, just as grief had united them days earlier.

Let’s start with a question: what matters more—functionality or aesthetics? It’s hard not to think of that when comparing the careers of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Brady, with laser-cut passes and seven Super Bowl rings. Manning, the Colts legend, with two championships and a knack for making even off-balance throws look intentional. Their timelines overlapped for nearly two decades. Their rivalry? Never out of style. And as Brady showed recently, the respect between them runs deep—even when the throws don’t.

Statistically, Brady outpaced Manning in touchdowns and interceptions, retiring with a 649–212 ratio compared to Manning’s 539–251. That gap is partly due to Brady playing five more seasons, but in one key category, the GOAT always trailed: completion percentage.

Despite two decades with the Patriots and meticulous attention to detail, Brady ended his career with a 64.3% completion rate. Manning? 65.3%. On the surface, that’s a 1% difference—but across 9,000+ pass attempts, it’s meaningful. And even Brady knows it.

In a June 1 feature with Veritasium, Brady joined host Derek Muller to explore the physics of passing. While breaking down spiral dynamics and wobble behavior, the GOAT acknowledged what many fans had long noticed: “Yeah. Peyton Manning had a good wobble on the balls, but he found a way to complete a lot of touchdowns that way.”

The comment was as revealing as it was respectful. Tom Brady, long the poster child for mechanical efficiency, tipped his cap to Manning’s ability to get the job done—regardless of the throw’s appearance. Muller, in turn, explained how a right-handed quarterback naturally sends the ball tipping slightly right on release, giving fans a deeper appreciation of the mechanics behind what some once dismissed as ugly throws.

Of course, Peyton Manning’s résumé speaks for itself: four Super Bowl appearances, two wins, and a reputation for never being caught in any controversy—certainly not one involving deflated footballs.

Tom Brady pays tribute to Colts owner

That subject still trails Brady like a shadow, especially in Indianapolis. Colts fans haven’t forgotten Deflategate, and many booed him when he appeared at the Indy 500 just days ago. Brady, never one to let a jab go unanswered, later clapped back on Instagram with a cheeky caption. But this week, Indiana faced a very different kind of moment—grief.

Jim Irsay, the longtime owner of the Indianapolis Colts and one of the league’s most colorful figures, passed away. Peyton Manning, who spent his entire prime under Irsay’s ownership, honored him with a heartfelt Instagram post—a carousel of personal photos and a tribute filled with genuine emotion. And in a rare moment of public softness, Tom Brady commented under the post: “❤️🙏🏻 RIP❤️🙏🏻”

A quiet gesture. A respectful pause in a career-long rivalry. And a reminder that behind the arm strength and accolades, the NFL’s greatest still understand what it means to honor the game and the people who shaped it. As the Colts community continues to remember Irsay, Brady’s reflections have also reignited the age-old debate: Who was the better quarterback?

It may come down to that opening question. Functionality or aesthetics? Because one made it look beautiful. The other just made it work.