Peyton Manning issues statement following Tom Brady announcement

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 24: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos and Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots speak after the AFC Championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-18. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 24: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos and Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots speak after the AFC Championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-18. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Peyton Manning issued a statement following Tom Brady’s retirement announcement on Tuesday.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady had some huge battles during their times playing against each other in the NFL. Manning, who played for the Indianapolis Colts for most of his career and then left for the Denver Broncos in 2012, had this to say on the future Hall of Fame quarterback Brady.

Despite allegations of cheating in his past, it’s tremendous how long Brady was able to play. He was drafted two years after Manning and ended up playing six more years than him and played in ten Super Bowls, winning seven of them.

In total, Brady and Manning squared off in the AFC Championship game a total of four times, twice while Peyton Manning was a member of the Denver Broncos. The two quarterbacks played against each other six times while Manning was a Bronco. Brady finished with an overall record of 8-9 against the Broncos while with the New England Patriots. He did beat the Broncos in 2020 while as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Among the notable games the Broncos have won against Brady in the playoffs are the 2005 divisional round with Jake Plummer at quarterback for Denver (Broncos lost in the AFC Championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers); 2013 AFC Championship game (Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl); AFC Championship game (Broncos won 20-18 to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII).

The Manning-Brady competition is one of the greatest one-on-one battles in NFL history. It’s an iconic one. When you think about battles between two quarterbacks, despite the NFL being around way before either of them began their NFL careers, the Peyton Manning-Tom Brady battle is one that comes to mind with the snap of a finger.

Brady will soon be placed in football immortality alongside Manning when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.