Tom Brady on Eli Manning: 'Nothing but the most respect'

The over-35 quarterback club sticks together.


In a Thursday night radio interview with Westwood One, Tom Brady was asked about Eli Manning’s situation, and said he has “nothing but the most respect” for Manning and what he’s accomplished over the course of his career.

Brady didn’t tear into the Giants’ organization like fellow veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, but said it was “pretty unfortunate” to see what Manning is going through.

"Obviously, being on the other side of two of those Super Bowl losses to an Eli Manning-led team, I just have so much respect for his dependability, for his consistency, for his toughness,” Brady said. “You know, that's really everything you want in an NFL player. And I think Eli has always provided that for the team. So I think it's a pretty unfortunate situation."

At the same time, Brady is well-aware of the reality of the matter. Not everyone ends up finishing their career where they started, and there's already a steady drumbeat of rumors that have him playing elsewhere in 2018.

"I think there's always these types of situations,” Brady explained. “As a fan growing up, I mean, to see Joe Montana playing in another uniform, and again, to see Jerry Rice or Ronnie Lott (play for another team), you know guys that I really looked up to and admired … there's not many happy endings in sports, and you know, that's just the way it is.

"You always wish for everything to go like a fairy tale, but it doesn't. Michael Jordan played for the Washington Wizards. I mean, who would have ever believed that? And that's just pro sports.”