Tom Brady on Peyton Manning: 'I've got another 7 or 8 years. He has 2'

Over the past few years, Tom Brady was publicly reverential toward his career-long rival, Peyton Manning.

Appearances can be so fickle, however, as Brady took a number of shots at Manning and his remaining longevity in the NFL, in emails obtained during the NFLPA's lawsuit to appeal the New England Patriots star's four-game suspension.

"I've got another seven or eight years. He has two. That's the final chapter. Game on," Brady said in an email with his friend, Kevin Brady, as obtained by The Boston Globe's Henry McKenna.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP didn't stop there, after his friend, Jay Flannelly, alleged that Manning needs ideal weather and game conditions to succeed, and questioned why the Denver Broncos would utilize Von Miller against Rob Gronkowski.

"We are some hard working grinders beav," Brady wrote. "That's what our team is all about. Our best is still ahead of us."

Brady holds a 11-5 head-to-head record against Manning during his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. The two quarterbacks engaged in the league's most illustrious individual rivalry of all time, and are the preeminent players of their generation.

There's no indication whether Manning will publicly respond to Brady's emails, but if there weren't enough reasons to get excited for the Nov. 29 Patriots-Broncos game, Brady's incendiary remarks ought to revive the eternal flame.