Bill Belichick turned a weakling, the 199th pick in 2000, into one of the greatest quarterbacks to have ever played football. Tom Brady thrived under his coaching, and it would've been impossible without Peyton Manning, pushing Belichick to coach harder. 

“He is definitely the best quarterback I’ve coached against,” he told The Globe in August 2021. “There have been quarterbacks who called their own plays, but it was nowhere near the same as what he did. He basically called every play by adjusting and/or changing the play once he saw what the defense was doing.”

The former head coach praised Manning when it was announced that he was to be indicted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brady flew to Canton, Ohio for Manning’s enshrinment ceremony on August 7, 2021 to support his on-filed foe, and cherished friend. 

Accompanying him were Bruce Arians and Clyde Christensen, Manning's former coaches. A strong arm runs in the Manning family, and it was no surprise that Peyton found the success he did.

His father, Archie Manning, always served as a guide in his football career spanning college and the NFL. While neither of them won the Heisman Trophy in college, Peyton, a prodigy of the University of Tennessee, had a meteoric rise in the pro league. 

Legendary quarterbacks in their right, but Brady and Manning’s career couldn’t be more different

Unlike Michigan's Tom Brady, Peyton Manning was a sought-after prospect. So much so that the Indianapolis Colts picked him first overall in 1998. 

He spent 12 explosive years with the Colts and four with the Denver Broncos. In his rookie season, Manning threw for 3,739 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns. Brady, though, had a slow start.

He didn’t reach the 3000+ passing yards mark until his third season in 2002. That year was his first successful Super Bowl campaign. While Brady won seven titles (one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Manning won two, the first being in 2007.

Manning’s Super Bowl appearances, four, maybe lower in comparison to Brady’s, but he pushed Belichick to churn game plans, better than before. 

“He excelled at using the cadence and recognizing blitzes, and more than any one single offensive player, he forced us to change and adapt defensive game plans,” the 74-year-old said. 

Brady and Manning faced each other 17 times between 2001 and 2015. One can imagine the pressure Belichick must’ve felt to keep his quarterback a step ahead. But the Brady-Manning rivalry was limited to the stadiums. Outside, they remain close friends who deeply respect each other. 

What are your thoughts on Belichick’s admission? Tell us in the comments. 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar