Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Hall of Fame signal-caller Peyton Manning were fierce rivals on the field, but to the surprise of many, they have maintained a good relationship off the field. Manning even invited Brady when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio last year. So when Brady announced his retirement last month, Manning said he sent the seven-time Super Bowl champion a few gifts, including a handwritten note and a bottle of wine. Now that Brady is back for his 23rd NFL season after a 41-day retirement, Manning wants to get those gifts back.
“He un-retired. I want the letter back. I want the bottle of wine back, too,” Manning said jokingly. Brady and Manning met 17 times in the NFL, with the former getting the upperhand, 11-6. Just recently, Brady was among those who welcomed Manning when he joined Instagram. In his post, Brady said he already had an Instagram account, so when he got bored, he just unretired. Brady announced his retirement after the Buccaneers lost to the eventual Super Bowl LVI champion Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round. However, Brady kept his fans hoping when he said that he would never say never to a possible comeback.
Brady can’t keep his return a secret for very long
According to the New York Post, Brady made his decision to return to the NFL abruptly, that he gave his social media team a short notice to make a statement about his comeback.
“Once I made the decision, I knew I just wanted to get it out and move on to get ready for the season,” Brady said, adding he FaceTimed the executives at Shadow Lion to inform him of his decision to come back. “We discussed how best to put it out there,” added Brady. Shadow Lion, which has been running Brady’s social media accounts for years, then helped craft a 53-word statement that the quarterback posted on his various social media accounts.
Brady said he gave his social media team just 30 minutes to deliver a statement and choose two photos that they will post on social media.
Brady informed wideouts of his comeback
Earlier, wide receiver Chris Godwin revealed that he and Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans were informed by Brady that he’s coming back to Tampa. After that, Godwin signed a three-year deal worth $60 million with the Buccaneers after receiving the franchise tag last season.
Despite playing just 14 games last season after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 15, Godwin still led the Buccaneers with 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns. The Buccaneers sorely missed Godwin’s playmaking ability during their playoff run as they lost to the Rams in the Divisional Round.
