That Peyton Manning and Tom Brady squared off one last time in the 2015 NFL playoffs was a fitting end to one of the league's most storied, and yet most respectful, rivalries. With Manning set to officially announce his retirement from the NFL after 18 seasons, 14 Pro Bowls, five league MVP designations and two Super Bowl victories, the most recent of which came in December, Brady stands alone atop the NFL quarterbacking mountain for the very first time.
And while an NFL and an AFC without Manning may look to Patriots fans like an easier road to and through the playoffs, for Brady, never one to shy away from competition, Monday is a day to mourn.
"That part sucks," Brady said of the realization that he'll never face Manning again. "That part really sucks. That part will always suck."
Manning, 39, will walk away from the game as the active career leader in passes completed (6,125), passes attempted (9,380), passing yards (71,940), passing touchdowns (539), and total offense (70,654).
He's also the NFL's all-time leader in total offense, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Brady, while he doesn't boast the same kind of career statistics and succeeded early in his career behind the strength of the Patriot run game and defense and his ability to hold onto the ball, will end his own NFL tenure someday in the not-too-distant future as perhaps the best to ever play the game (especially if he plays into his 70s).
But Brady knows he's not just losing a contemporary in Manning - he's losing someone who, directly and indirectly, taught him much about how to play the game.
"Who has lived up to the expectations year after year after year as well as Peyton?" Brady said. "He's done it so gracefully, so admirably. He set the standard for how to play the quarterback position."
Brady added that he's watched every NFL game that Manning has ever played in, admitting he has "file folders" of Manning's plays. And what did Brady learn from watching Manning, up close and from afar?
That it takes constant commitment to be great.
"It's not 9 to 5. It's a lifelong commitment," said Brady. "Football is a sport, it's an art, it's a religion. It's all-encompassing. He mastered it."
