Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning had his fair share of duels with current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady during his playing career. Brady often got the better of Manning during his days with the Indianapolis Colts, while Manning would later gain a slight advantage during his final years with the Denver Broncos.
The two developed one of the better individual rivalries in football, but they also have a tremendous amount of respect for one another. Manning even suggested Brady and the Buccaneers are Super Bowl favorites, via Greg Auman of The Athletic.
Peyton Manning, on 104.3 The Fan in Denver this morning, asked his advice for Tom Brady, changing teams late in career: "I don't think Tom needs any advice from me. They've got Gronkowski now, so they're going to win the Super Bowl for sure. There's no advice necessary from me."
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 22, 2020
Of course, these comments should be taken with a grain of salt. Manning did indeed win a Super Bowl after changing teams late in his career, though he was carried by a dominant Broncos defense. So there might be some comedic undertones to this statement.
Nevertheless, the Bucs certainly should be regarded as contenders, though they have not made the playoffs since the 2007 season.
Brady will be surrounded by a wealth of talent at the skill positions, most notably Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The addition of Gronkowski also gives Brady his favorite target from his days with the New England Patriots.
Moreover, the Bucs re-signed Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh while also using the franchise tag on Shaquil Barrett, maintaining a defensive front that harassed opposing quarterbacks and also ranked as the No. 1 run defense in football last season, per Football Outsiders.
This was a transformative offseason for Tampa Bay, one which might improve depending on their selections in the 2020 NFL Draft.
For his part, Manning believes the Bucs can win the Super Bowl in Year 1 of the Brady era.
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