Tom Brady fired back at Eli Manning as the two former star quarterbacks hilariously reignited their old rivalry, this time taking it online. Though both Brady and Manning have retired from the NFL and are now pursuing careers in media, that hasn’t stopped them from trading some good-natured trash talk whenever an opportunity presents itself.
It all began when Brady, now 47, shared a shirtless photo on social media on Monday. The NFL legend was soaking up the sun during some downtime between his new gig calling games for Fox. While Brady’s impressive physique drew plenty of attention, it wasn’t exactly his “thirst trap” that caught Manning’s eye—it was the size of Brady’s latest catch.
In the photo, Brady posed on a boat, proudly displaying a fish he had caught, which appeared to be a snapper.
Manning couldn’t resist the chance to poke fun at his old rival. Sharing Brady’s post, Manning wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Cute minnow, Tom!” Manning included a photo of himself holding a much larger fish, making it clear he was attempting to one-up Brady in the fishing department.
Not one to back down from a challenge, Brady fired back with the perfect football-themed retort. He quote-tweeted Manning’s post and responded, “You use a helmet to catch that one too?” The quip was a reference to one of the most famous plays in NFL history—the “Helmet Catch” by David Tyree during Super Bowl XLII.
The iconic play, which took place in the dying moments of the 2008 Super Bowl, featured Tyree making an improbable catch by pinning the football against his helmet, setting up the New York Giants’ game-winning touchdown.
The Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17-14, denying Brady and his team what would have been a perfect season. Manning, as the Giants’ quarterback, led that game-winning drive, and Tyree’s catch became one of the defining moments of his career.
The back-and-forth banter between Brady and Manning is just the latest chapter in their storied rivalry. Manning’s two Super Bowl victories came at the expense of Brady and the Patriots, adding an extra layer of competitiveness to their relationship. Four years after the famous “Helmet Catch” Super Bowl, Manning got the better of Brady again, this time leading the Giants to a 21-17 victory in Super Bowl XLVI.
The playful exchange on social media is just one of many instances where the two legendary quarterbacks have taken jabs at each other since their retirements. Back in September, Manning swapped one type of football for another to take a shot at Brady.
Manning jokingly declared himself a fan of Wrexham Football Club, the Welsh soccer team owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, just days before Wrexham faced Birmingham City—the team in which Brady owns a minority stake.
“Now I can beat @TomBrady in football and fútbol,” Manning wrote on X, sharing a photo of himself proudly sporting a Wrexham jersey. It was yet another reminder that the rivalry between these two champions extends far beyond the gridiron.
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The camaraderie and banter between Brady and Manning are indicative of the respect they share for each other despite their fierce competition during their playing days.
While Manning’s Super Bowl wins may have stung Brady at the time, it’s clear that both men can now laugh about the moments that defined their rivalry. Whether it’s football, fishing, or even soccer, Brady and Manning continue to find ways to keep their rivalry alive, much to the delight of fans everywhere.
This latest exchange between the two legends serves as a testament to the good humor that has developed between them over the years, and it’s a reminder that, for all their competitiveness, there’s a mutual admiration underneath it all.
As they embark on the next chapters of their careers, Brady and Manning’s friendly jabs show that their rivalry will always be a source of entertainment—and that some bonds forged on the football field will never fade.
