There have been some incredible rivalries in the world of sports over the years. From Ali-Frazier in the ring, Magic and Bird shaking up the eighties, all the way to Messi and Ronaldo captivating the soccer world. However, when it comes to the NFL world, one rivalry stands atop all else. No, it’s not the nascent rivalry between Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. This is about 7x Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and 2x winner Peyton Manning.

Nemeses on the battlefield, the two quarterbacks had a far deeper and stranger connection under the surface. For 15 years between 2001 and 2015, Brady and Manning dueled over the ruling rights of the AFC. And it was a treat for sore eyes. However, their first on-field interaction didn’t indicate the fierce back-and-forth that was about to follow.

Revisiting the first time Brady and Manning met

Peyton Manning entered the league as the first overall pick in 1998, slated to be the face of the NFL. TB12, on the other hand, almost went undrafted, coming in as the 199th overall pick. Understandably, experts didn’t pit these two to have one of the greatest future rivalries. Well, Brady changed that narrative for sure. However, during their first interaction, even Tom Terrific was in awe of Manning. And not just his quarterbacking skills, but his personality and character.

Gary Myers delved into the relationship between the two iconic signal-callers in his book, ‘Brady Vs Manning’. Myers described the scenes in Foxborough before the New England Patriots faced the Indianapolis Colts in week 3 of the 2001 regular season. It was Brady’s debut as a starter. And he had a surprise visitor.

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“Hey, Tom. Peyton,” Manning introduced himself. This meant a lot to Tom Brady at the time. Especially since he was the underdog. Besides learning about his character, Brady was also impressed with Manning’s politeness. “He always does the right thing, says the right thing, acts the right way,” Brady said afterward. “I like when people introduce themselves to me because I meet a lot of people. I don’t assume anybody knows who I am automatically,” Peyton had said.

Tom Brady proved the analysts wrong

Yes, Manning was supposed to be the chosen one. However, starting that week 3 game, Brady announced to the NFL world that there was a new sheriff in town. The Patriots beat the Colts 44-13. Brady also had the upper hand when the two met that season again in Indianapolis, winning 38-17. The Patriots won the Super Bowl that year, cementing Brady as the one to look out for.

Overall, Brady and Manning faced each other 17 times during their NFL careers, with the head-to-head going 11-6 in Brady’s favor. Brady had an 8-4 record in Patriots-Colts matchups and a 3-2 record during the time Manning played for the Denver Broncos. Both the wins for Denver came during the AFC Championship games in 2013 and 2015, with the Broncos winning the Lombardi in 2015.

Now retired, Brady is scheduled to join the Fox Sports desk for a whopping $375 million in 2024. 5x NFL MVP Manning has already been in broadcasting since his retirement. And looks like the quarterback-turned-broadcasters will keep the rivalry on even after hanging up their cleats.

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