Watch: "The Peyton angle" - Tom Brady pokes fun at Peyton Manning in latest workout video
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning had a famously friendly rivalry that spanned several years. Manning battled Brady as both an Indianapolis Colt and a Denver Bronco.
Ever since Manning's retirement, the rivalry has continued in passive-aggressive social media swipes. Many have argued that it's Manning's envy of Brady's lengthy career that initially fueled the rivalry. However, their general relationship suggests otherwise.
Brady's latest 'gotcha' to his rival was a shot at Manning's forehead:
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have no malice towards each other
While these sorts of jokes are commonplace in personal rivalry/press-friendly kinship, there is an underlying respect these two have for each other. A respect that is borderline incomprehensible to those that haven't headlined championship football games in front of millions of people.
When Tom Brady 'retired' this past February (he returned less than a month later) he was showered with affection by his signal-calling counterpart:
"Congratulations to my friend Tom on an unbelievable football career. To do it as long as he did, at the highest of levels is absolutely incredible. It was an honor and a privilege to compete against him on the field, and I truly appreciate his friendship off the field. I have always admitted & respected his competitiveness, his dedication, his discipline, and his commitment to being the best. I wish him the best in his next chapter. Congratulations again, pal!"
To Brady's credit, he's showered just as much love to Manning as was showered upon him. While he has had his jokes about Manning's forehead and general disposition, he has always attributed praise to his rival over the years.
Here's what Brady had to say when the two were both active back in 2011:
"I'm always keeping up on Peyton. We talk from time to time and I have a lot of respect for him as a player, for the role model he is, the way he carries himself, the way he leads his team, the way he's a representative for the league."
In 2014, Brady called Manning one of the greatest players of all time:
"Manning has been one of the greatest players to ever play. I've been fortunate to share a field with one of the best players that has ever played the game. And every time we play a Peyton Manning-led team, it comes down to the wire. Everything is usually at stake."
For every forehead joke Tom Brady fires at Manning's expense, there are 10 times more affectionate comments behind the scenes.
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