Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Brady wanted to win with Buccaneers like Peyton Manning did with Broncos?

Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning provided fans with what is, to date, the greatest player-versus-player NFL rivalry of the 2000s. As Gary Myers noted in his "Brady vs. Manning" book, the two have remained close friends even after Manning's retirement and spend time together during football offseasons. 

That doesn't mean they are suddenly uncompetitive when on golf courses or, in some cases, comparing legacies. Manning earned his first Super Bowl championship with the Indianapolis Colts but then joined the Denver Broncos in 2012 and won his second and final ring at Super Bowl 50. 

Per a JoeBucsFan.com piece, Buccaneers quarterback coach Clyde Christensen recently gave Zach Gelb of CBS Sports some insight into why Brady decided to leave the New England Patriots for Tampa Bay nearly one year ago. 

"He said one of the things that looked really fun and challenging to him was what Peyton [Manning] did at Denver," Christensen explained. "Like kind of the same scenario [in Tampa]. … There was something about that challenge that hit [Brady] right. ‘Hey, I’m going to go see if I can do this again somewhere else.’ I do think that the challenge of that was a huge thing for him. … He’s mentioned several times that he was impressed [with Manning’s accomplishments in Denver] and that looked fun and challenging to him."

Brady surpassed Manning in this aspect of their careers by winning the Super Bowl the first season after changing clubs and also by earning Most Valuable Player honors for the title game. It was another round for Brady in the friendly battle between the living legends this time around, but we're confident they'll be able to joke about it on the links. 

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Defending champion Golden Knights ousted by Stars in first round
Watch: Kyle Larson wins closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history
Lando Norris wins Miami Grand Prix for his first career F1 victory
Rangers hold off late Hurricanes rally to take early series lead
Watch: Shohei Ohtani homers twice as Dodgers sweep Braves
Taylor Pendrith outlasts Ben Kohles at Byron Nelson for maiden win
Watch: Astros woes continue in one-run loss to Mariners
Panthers star throws some shade at defeated Maple Leafs
Donovan Mitchell channeled 'The Answer' in first-round win vs. Magic
NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas delayed
Watch: Juan Soto's three-run double gives Yankees 5-2 lead over Tigers in seventh
Pirates GM responds to calls to promote ace pitching prospect
Dodgers place right-hander on 15-day injured list
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah joins elite company in victory vs. Tottenham
Former All-Pro CB medically cleared for football activities
NHL announces 2024 Selke Trophy finalists
J.J. Watt has interesting comments on possibility of playing in 2024
Russell Westbrook reacts to reports of him leaving Clippers
Ant-Man leads Timberwolves to Game 1 upset of Nuggets
Luis Arraez makes history in Padres debut