Patriots: Tom Brady sitting in wrong section at Peyton Manning Hall of Fame ceremony
By Mike Luciano
During the span of the Tom Brady dynasty, the New England Patriots were frequently upended and challenged by Peyton Manning, both in his prime with the Indianapolis Colts and during his late-career resurgence with the Denver Broncos.
The Brady-Manning rivalry remains one of the great spectacles in the history of the sport.
While the two frequently clashed on the field, the pair have a great deal of respect for one another and their abilities as a quarterback.
Both players lost out on some extra championships thanks to them having to go head-to-head.
While Brady is still trying to pile up even more rings in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers, Manning is receiving the highest individual honor a player can be awarded in this game during his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brady, still intertwined with Manning after all these years, will be in Canton for the event.
Manning said that Brady will be sitting in his allotted section during the ceremony, a move that Peyton jokingly claimed will ruffle the feathers of some of his Colts teammates. Manning also confirmed that Bruce Arians, Brady’s head coach in Tampa and Manning’s former offensive coordinator, will be in attendance.
Peyton Manning on FOX broadcast, on his Hall of Fame induction: "Got some old rivals, Tom Brady is coming in, sitting in my section. I'm not sure how my Colts teammates will handle that. But that means a lot, that he's taking the time."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 6, 2021
Brady-Manning rivalry.
All-timer.
Patriots: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will be linked forever.
Some Patriots fans might be a bit shocked at Brady choosing to not only show up to support Manning, but sit right alongside the guys he looked forward to beating every year, but the rivalry between the two has turned much less vitriolic now that Manning isn’t playing anymore.
While Brady might’ve edged past Manning in the GOAT debate thanks to his postseason success, Peyton was without a doubt the toughest quarterback rival that Brady had to go up against. He never had the defenses that Brady had, yet he was throwing for 300 yards every time out there to keep the Colts in the game.
For providing him a challenge like no other quarterback has before, Manning earned the respect of TB12.
Arians said he’ll be going up to Canton for Peyton Manning’s Hall of Fame induction this weekend.
— Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV) August 6, 2021
Tom Brady will also be there.
Brady and Manning might’ve been bitter rivals during their playing careers as Brady continued to rack up the championships, but with TB12’s legacy secure and Manning enjoying his second career on TV, the pair have proven to be good friends off the field.
If golfing next to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson isn’t a sign of friendship, then what is? It appears that after years of blustering and frustrating losses on both sides, Manning and Brady can look past the competition.
Patriots fans who grew up despising Manning due to the fact he was constantly trying to knock New England off of their perch might be shocked by this development, but Brady is ready to support one of his peers during an unforgettable moment.
