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Tom Brady’s Friend Julian Edelman Once Mocked His Arch Nemesis Peyton Manning in an Inspiring Espys Speech

Published 06/22/2023, 4:00 PM EDT

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Julian Edelman was one of the most lethal weapons for New England Patriots. The wide receiver won the 2017 ESPY award for Best Game for their comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. During his acceptance speech at the 2017 ESPY Award, he praised Peyton Manning for his hosting skills but then delivered a hilarious zinger that left the audience in stitches.

Manning, who hosted the show, had no problem poking fun at himself and others throughout the night. However, the biggest joke against him did not come from his own mouth. It came at his expense from a member of the Patriots, his longtime rival in the NFL.

Edelman’s cold shoulder to Manning

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Julian Edelman, Tom Brady’s trusted target, took a subtle jab at Peyton Manning when he joined his teammates on stage to receive the ESPY for the Best Game of the Year, which was the epic Super Bowl comeback. He started off by saying “You know, I never really thought I’d say this, but Peyton Manning is kind of killing it,” which sounded like a genuine compliment. However, he quickly added, “Yeah, we are indoors though.” This was a clever reference to the criticism that Manning faced throughout his career that he struggled to play well in cold or outdoor conditions, a factor that many used to argue that Tom Brady was a superior playoff quarterback.

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However, Edelman’s joke was not entirely fair. According to the statistics, Manning had a stellar record of 95 wins and 41 losses outdoors during his illustrious career with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. He also had one of the most fierce rivalries in the NFL world with the legend Tom Brady.

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Brady and Manning: Most epic NFL rivalry?

For nearly two decades, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have captivated NFL fans with their epic rivalry. They are widely regarded as two of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game, and they have met 17 times on the field, with five of those games being in the postseason. The rivalry began in 2001 when a young Brady stepped in for an injured Drew Bledsoe and led the Patriots to a 44-13 rout of Manning’s Colts in his first career start. Since then, they have had many thrilling and memorable battles, with Brady holding an 11-6 advantage over Manning in the regular season.

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However, Manning has had more success against Brady in the playoffs, winning three out of five games, including two AFC Championship Games that sent him to the Super Bowl. Despite their fierce competition on the field, Manning and Brady have also developed a friendship off the field and have shown their humorous side in various commercials and skits together.

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Written by:

Mohammad Asif Ansari

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Mohammad Asif Ansari is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports, with a passion for bringing sports news to life through engaging content. As an ardent sports fan, Ansari likes to cover core sports angles. His latest article, “Dallas Cowboys Reportedly Making It Difficult for Aaron Rodgers to Pursue His Dream Team” got a hoard of interested sports readers.
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Edited by:

Hitesh Nigam