Tom Brady says he saw Peyton Manning as ‘the enemy'—and used it to fuel his greatness

Time of India

22-07-2025

Images via Getty
In the world of elite sports, rivalries aren't just about wins and losses—they're psychological battles that shape careers, reputations, and even relationships. That's exactly what Tom Brady reflected on in the latest edition of his 199 newsletter, published on Monday, July 21.
The retired quarterback, now 47, offered a rare and brutally honest look into the mental armor he built during his 23-year NFL career—particularly when it came to his icy dynamic with fellow icon Peyton Manning. While fans saw two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time trading touchdowns and dueling in AFC Championship games, Brady reveals he was waging a personal war in his own head—one that kept him from making real friendships and pushed him toward historic greatness.
How Tom Brady's rivalry with Peyton Manning became a mental weapon
When
Tom Brady
entered the NFL in 2000 as the 199th overall pick, he didn't just arrive with a chip on his shoulder—he built entire rivalries out of perceived slights. One of those centered around Peyton Manning, who had been the No. 1 overall pick two years earlier in the 1998 NFL Draft. Manning was the golden boy from an SEC powerhouse. Brady was a sixth-rounder from Michigan. And in Brady's mind, that gap had to be closed.
'When I look back on my relationship with Peyton Manning,' Brady wrote in his July 21 newsletter, 'my respect, admiration, and appreciation for him as a competitor has grown with each passing year.'
But during their playing days, things were very different. 'It was always there, don't misunderstand,' he added, 'but while we were competing against each other I couldn't let that get in the way of the fact that he was my enemy, that he didn't respect me, that he thought he was better than me because he was a #1 pick from an SEC school — or at least that's what I made myself believe.'
That self-imposed storyline wasn't about bitterness—it was a tool.
'Convincing myself that those things were true created a sense of urgency within me to prove him wrong,' Brady said. 'And it provided the extra bit of energy and motivation necessary to lock in and focus and execute just that much more so that I could beat him more often than he beat me.'
Tom Brady, who won seven Super Bowls across two franchises (six with the New England Patriots, one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), saw the strategy pay off.
But it came at a cost. 'That's why the greats like Michael Jordan didn't have friends during the season,' he noted. 'Kobe Bryant wasn't collabing with anyone who wasn't in purple and gold. Tiger Woods didn't have friends on tour. Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens would throw at their moms if they were in another team's jersey.
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Brady admitted that his attitude created tension not just with Manning but with most opponents. 'For my part, I didn't have any real friends on any other teams when I played,' he wrote.
'I had the guys on my team and that was it.'
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning's rivalry fueled NFL greatness—and left a lasting legacy
Years after both legends walked away from the game, Brady says he's come to appreciate what that rivalry truly meant. 'I maybe didn't fully know it at the time, but I needed someone to look up to, who inspired me to be better,' he wrote. 'Now when I see him, the only thing I can say is thank you.'
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were never close on the field—but that distance may have been the very thing that elevated them both. Brady's grudge wasn't personal—it was purposeful. And in the end, it forged two of the greatest careers in NFL history. Because sometimes, what looks like resentment is really just reverence in disguise.
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