Peyton Manning: I Told Tom Brady I'm Unworthy to Give Advice, I Watch NFL from Garage
March 16, 2024
As Tom Brady prepares to enter the announce booth for the first time, he's been seeking advice from several broadcasters to help him make the shift to television.
One of the people Brady has sought help from his Peyton Manning, but his former on-field rival admitted he doesn't have much to offer.
"He's reached out to me for advice," Manning told The Athletic's Andrew Marchand. "I said, 'Tom, I watch football from my neighbor's garage on Monday nights. I'm not sure I'm worthy of being called for advice for what you're about to do."
Even though the Manningcast has become a staple of ESPN's Monday Night Football coverage since it debuted during the 2021 NFL season, it's not a traditional broadcast.
As Manning astutely noted, he's sitting in a garage commenting on the action with his brother and often a guest. His reactions are reminiscent of what most fans do when they are trying to get the attention of the coach for their favorite team, even though it's not possible to do that unless you are a telepath.
It's possible for a traditional television announcer to do something like that in the right moment. Fox's Greg Olsen was echoing the sentiments of every San Francisco 49ers fan by yelling at linebacker Dre Greenlaw to go down after his interception in the final minute of the fourth quarter sealed a 24-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round.
Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox to become the network's No. 1 color analyst in May 2022. He played his final season in 2022 and opted to hold off on broadcasting during the 2023 NFL season to give himself more time to prepare for the new role.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported in February that Brady has been preparing to become a broadcaster using the same "obsessive detail and a fierce and competitive desire to be the best" that made him arguably the best quarterback in NFL history.
Brady and Manning squared off 17 times during their illustrious careers, with Brady holding an 11-6 edge. They won't go head-to-head on television since Brady will be calling most of his games for Fox on Sundays and Manning's job is on Monday nights.