Back when Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were both playing in the NFL, their matchups were legendary. These two titans turned every game into a spectacle-high-stakes battles that often determined AFC dominance. Picture it: Brady, a scrappy sixth-round draft pick, leading the New England Patriots, squaring off against Manning, the top draft pick, commanding the Indianapolis Colts. Their clashes, including four AFC Championship games, weren't just games they were events that defined an era. Now years later, Brady shared his thoughts on the rivalry, crediting Manning-the quarterback with the most MVP awards in NFL history-for helping him become the player he is today.
Together with Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers, they owned the AFC. Between 2003 and 2017, Brady, Manning, and Roethlisberger snagged 11 of the 15 conference titles. It was their playground, and everyone else was just trying to keep up. Over their careers, Brady and Manning faced off 17 times, with Brady taking 11 wins to Manning's 6. But in the playoffs, Manning flipped the script, winning 3 of their 5 meetings, including two AFC title games that still sting for Patriots fans.
Brady's Tribute: Manning as the Spark Behind His Success
In his newsletter "199"-a nod to where he was picked in the 2000 draft-Tom Brady recently peeled back the curtain on what Peyton Manning meant to him. Even though Brady's now hailed as the greatest quarterback ever, he insists he wouldn't have gotten there without Manning pushing him every step of the way. "Peyton Manning was a gift to my NFL career," Brady wrote. "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 admitted that back in the day, he didn't fully grasp how much Manning drove him. It was the grind of those offseasons-March, April, May, when no one was watching-that Manning's shadow loomed largest, urging Brady to aim higher than anyone thought possible. "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."
That's the best way to look at their rivalry. It's similar to the rivalry between Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. Their rivalry always stays on the field, which makes them more competitive. They get better season after season because they have equally talented opponents. The fact that the teams are put together differently is another matter.
