Skip to content

Peyton sent handwritten letter to Brady after retirement announcement

Jeff Haynes / Sports Illustrated / Getty

While many athletes took to social media to congratulate Tom Brady on his recent retirement, Peyton Manning decided to do it the old-fashioned way by writing him a letter.

Manning told People's Sonal Dutt that he felt Brady's monumental announcement deserved more than just a text message.

"That's something I've always believed in. A text for a 22-year career like Tom Brady's just doesn't quite do it justice," Manning said. "So, it was a chance to just sit down and put pen to paper and talk about some of the different things he and I have experienced together - on the field and off the field - and just congratulate him for doing it the right way, doing it at the highest level, and doing it for such a long time. It's simply awesome.

"You know, my greatest takeaway from my years of playing were the relationships I made, and the friendships with my teammates and coaches and even competitors, like Tom. He and I have a great friendship and I'm honored to have that."

The two quarterbacks faced each other 17 times over the course of their careers, with Brady holding an 11-6 edge. They also went head-to-head in The Match: Champions for Charity golf event in 2020, in which Manning won alongside Tiger Woods.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox