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Eli Manning Continues to Live Rent Free in Tom Brady’s Head

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 4:15 PM ET

Tom Brady kicked off his second season in the Fox Sports broadcast booth on Sunday with a familiar matchup and a familiar jab.

While talking pre-game about the New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders matchup, a game in which he called alongside Kevin Burkhardt, Brady remarked, "I think any Giants quarterback that doesn’t involve Eli Manning I like."

The line quickly drew laughter from his crewmates and reignited one of the NFL’s most storied individual rivalries, sparking a wave of reactions online, including one user who joked that Manning is still "living rent-free" in Brady's head, even years after both have retired from the NFL.

“I think any Giants quarterback room that doesn’t involve Eli Manning, I like”

@TomBrady is back and previews the Giants-Commanders coming up on FOX! pic.twitter.com/W0Me5cA0IS
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 7, 2025

Revisiting the Brady-Manning Rivalry

Brady’s comment Sunday was a callback to one of the few blemishes on his otherwise dominant career.

Brady appeared in 10 Super Bowls, winning seven. Of his three losses, two came at the hands of Manning and the Giants: Super Bowl XLII in 2008 and Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.

In Super Bowl XLII, the Giants ended the Patriots’ perfect season with a 17–14 upset, highlighted by Manning’s escape and throw to David Tyree for the "Helmet Catch."

Four years later, Manning led another late-game drive to defeat Brady’s Patriots 21–17. Manning earned Super Bowl MVP honors in both games.

Manning’s Giants were the only team to beat Brady twice in the Super Bowl.

Even post-retirement, the rivalry has surfaced in playful exchanges. In April, Brady opened a sports memorabilia store near MetLife Stadium, where he priced every Manning card at $0, prompting jokes about invading Giants territory.

Then, at a Fanatics event in June, Brady ripped a Manning jersey on stage, only for Manning to jokingly tackle him backstage.

It's chaos at @FanaticsFest! @TomBrady just ripped up an @EliManning jersey, and that wasn't going to fly with Eli! @Fanatics pic.twitter.com/VvjNGzxKTC
— WWE (@WWE) June 20, 2025

Brady retired from the NFL in 2023, signing a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports, officially stepping into the booth in 2024.

His debut season included regular-season games, playoff matchups and the Super Bowl broadcast, with mixed early reviews that gradually improved as he settled into the role.

Brady's Week 1 assignment, Giants vs. Commanders, was the first of several marquee matchups as he continues his role as Fox's lead analyst.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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