LaDainian Tomlinson Clarifies Why He Prefers Tom Brady Over Peyton Manning
Throughout much of their respective careers, future Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were longtime rivals. That often saw any chance of reaching the Super Bowl go through either Manning or Brady over the bulk of their respective illustrious careers. It has led to the conversation of them being regarded among the greatest quarterbacks in league history. With that in mind, Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson recently voiced that he would have preferred to play with Brady over Manning for one reason.
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning’s rivalry
Through 16 seasons together in the league, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning had a rivalry that often took centerstage each season.
Brady may have had the upper hand holding an 11-6 record in those matchups over the years, but they were always entertaining games. Brady led the New England Patriots to nine Super Bowls while winning six times, and Manning led his teams to four trips to the Super Bowls with a pair of wins.
The two played each other at least once 13 times over the 16 years in their respective illustrious careers. Manning and Brady were the gold standards at the position during their time against each other, which often led to the discussion around who players wanted to play with as LaDainian Tomlinson recently responded.
LaDainian Tomlinson prefers Tom Brady because he has more rings
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will always be intertwined together due to their rivalry throughout their respective careers.
It has often put them together in the discussion in choosing which quarterback players would prefer to play alongside. Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson recently weighed in on the conversation by stating he would want Brady solely because he has more Super Bowl rings. (H/T NESN)
“Man, considering I don’t have a Super Bowl ring, I want the guy who’s got the most rings. You know, Tom Brady got six rings, man,” Tomlinson said Tuesday on NFL Network. “I’m just thinking, I played 11 years. I’m thinking out of one of those 11 years I’ma get me a Super Bowl ring with Tom Brady. He got six. The other thing, I just got to think selfishly. I’m a running back. I ain’t getting the ball with Peyton Manning. He’s gonna be at the line of scrimmage, he’s gonna be checking. You know, checking to pass plays, getting out of run plays. I know with Tom Brady I’m going to have a balanced offense. I’m still gonna get my totes. The other thing, Tom Brady likes to throw it to the running back. So I’m gonna eat with Tom Brady.”
That response shouldn’t come as a surprise as the ultimate goal for players is to win Super Bowls, and no other quarterback in league history has more than Brady. The thing absent from Tomlinson’s impressive career is a championship, and the opportunity to win several is quite appealing to any NFL player, let alone a Hall of Famer.
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning forever intertwined
The discussion around Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will always be connected due to many memorable matchups over the years.
Brady will always hold the edge in that conversation due to his better head-to-head record, and Super Bowl wins, but it was a rivalry that was one of the best in NFL history. It featured two of the game’s greatest quarterbacks going at during the primes of their careers.
There may never be another rivalry like the one that Brady and Manning shared for more than a decade.
