"Deal with it Tom Brady": Peyton Manning advises Bucs QB to adapt to NFL's new jersey number rules
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were the greatest QBs of early 2000. The games between Brady's New England Patriots and Manning's Indianapolis Colts were epic.
Together, they hold a baffling total of 89 NFL records—including most games with a perfect passer rating, highest yards per game, most seasons with 3500+ yards, and most passing touchdowns.
Manning retired in 2015, after playing for the Denver Broncos. Tom Brady, on the other hand, not only keeps playing, but together with his team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV against Patrick Mahomes, a player who will soon start to figure in the GOAT talks, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now with so much history between the two QBs, and with Manning being on the other side of the transmission, it's good to see the rift between them is still alive.
What Tom Brady said
Earlier this year, the NFL announced changes regarding jersey numbers.
Tom Brady didn't like it, and he made sure to speak out his opinion about the change.
"The number rule is crazy. Literally, guys changed their numbers today. I'm playing two guys who had different numbers in the preseason. So, yeah, you've got to watch film and know who you're studying but so do running backs. They've got to know who to block. So does the offensive line. So does the receivers who are adjusting their routes based on blitzes."
What Peyton Manning said
On yesterday's Monday Night Football simulcast, Peyton Manning, sharing the screen with his younger brother, Eli (ex-QB for the New York Giants, and twice Super Bowl winner and MVP over Brady's Patriots), and Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, said:
"I know Brady doesn't like the single-digit linebackers, but Tom, it's here to stay. You better deal with it. Learn the fact that a mike linebacker is wearing No. 6."
Manning later added:
"I think it's great letting these guys wear different numbers. Let them have fun, let them wear single digits, let them wear their college number, their high school number, if they're having fun, the game is going to be fun to watch."
Both are right
Tom Brady has the right to complain, but with 20+ years of experience as a starting QB, he soon will get used to the numbers and will not have a problem calling blitzes and coverage.
Meanwhile, Peyton Manning is also right when he says that the change is here to stay and that everything that makes the game funnier is a good thing.
Regardless of your opinion on the matter, it sure is nice to see, even if not on the field, Manning and Brady facing each other again.
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