From Eli Manning’s gleeful needling of Tom Brady to the revealing of some long-running inside jokes that define their friendship, few things light up the ManningCast quite like when the brothers drag the seven-time Super Bowl champ into the conversation. And on Monday night, a single play-action concept, the beloved “trap pass” that both the Mannings and Brady have leaned on in their careers, became the perfect spark.
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After showing some vintage footage of him successfully running the play and connecting with his former tight end, Dallas Clark, Peyton Manning transitioned to a clip of Tom Brady throwing the same ball on the same route to Rob Gronkowski.
“The Patriots stole the trap pass from me and the Colts,” Peyton joked while analyzing New England’s offense on Monday night. “And they owe me some money.”
As the former Indianapolis Colts star started to air out his grievances with the New England Patriots on national television, the message was received. And that message is: Don’t steal from Peyton Manning.
“Brady told me the check is in the mail, but I haven’t seen it. Brady, you have my address. You mail me an ugly turtleneck sweater every single Christmas. I haven’t worn it yet,” continued Peyton.
The two-time Super Bowl champion then announced that he would be starting an official “Peyton Trap Pass Fund.” For every trap pass that the Patriots call from here on out, Manning will be adding one U.S. dollar to the total. He believes that “it’s time they pay up.”
When his younger brother Eli highlighted the fact that he ran the same play with his own former tight end, Jeremy Shockey, during the 2005 regular season, Peyton ruled that the former New York Giant should have his name placed on the donor’s list as well. “You got this play from us also,” the elder Manning cracked.
“You owe me money as well. You have my address. No cuff links this summer. Send me a good present this Christmas,” added Peyton.
While he knows that he didn’t invent the play, Peyton still declared that “nobody did it under center until we started doing it. Brady copied it. Gronk’s going to Canton because of that play.”
Unfortunately for the five-time MVP, this particular play action pass is simply too effective for it to be ignored or put behind a pay wall. After all, the NFL is regarded as a “copycat league” for a reason, right?
