Tom Brady and Peyton Manning battled on the field for more than a decade, but despite the rivalry, the two remain close friends.
In his weekly Monday night interview with Jim Gray on Westwood One Radio, Brady explained how the two legendary quarterbacks are able to put their on-the-field history aside and maintain a friendship.
“He wanted to beat the heck out of me as Tom Brady the football player and that’s very different as Tom Brady the person,” Brady told Gray. “When you’re wearing that opposing jersey, it’s just the way it goes. But postgame, and when you’re not wearing that jersey, it’s a whole different set of circumstances. It’s nice to have someone that can relate to a lot of similar experiences that we’ve had. Being that we were in it together for so long at the same time, it’s really a special relationship to me.”
Aware of the type of competitor that Manning is, Brady believes that the former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback misses the game.
“I think he does,” Brady told Gray. “He loves football so much, and so much of what we have talked about over the years has been about football. Whether he’d ever want to play, I’m not sure if that’s the case.”
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