Getty
The New England Patriots enshrined Tom Brady into their Hall of Fame on Wednesday night. Peyton Manning crashed the party at Gillette Stadium.
After playing a video tribute at the induction ceremony, host Mike Tirico introduced Manning to an unsuspecting Brady.
“There was one person not in that video who said they refused to talk about Tom Brady into a camera again,” Tirico said. “And instead, you don’t know this is coming, a surprise guest. Ladies and gentlemen, Peyton Manning.”
Here’s a look at Manning’s entrance, courtesy of the Patriots:
The Sheriff surprises The Goat!@TomBrady | @NFL pic.twitter.com/LyflakKEaV
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 13, 2024
In a rare turn of events, Patriots fans gave Manning a standing ovation. Per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, the former Indianapolis Colts legend joked that they like him “because I always lost here.”
Although they spent years jockeying for AFC supremacy, Manning admitted that they once worked out together during the offseason. In a moment that feels reminiscent of his famous Saturday Night Live sketch, Manning recalled the iconic duo jokingly threatening a group of teenagers who saw them.
“If you tell anybody Tom Brady and I are friends, we’ll kill all of you,” Manning said.
Via Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Manning also said he always felt pressure to put up points when opposing Brady, “but not until there’s six seconds left.” Meanwhile, Brady said there’s “nobody” in the game like Manning now.
It’s the second time Manning has recently appeared as a surprise guest to honor Brady. Last month, he attended Brady’s Netflix roast as an unannounced performer.
Manning referred to his former on-field foe as a “three-time Super Bowl loser” and called “blowing leads to my brother” the icon’s handicap while joking about their golf game.
Everyone, Manning included, was a bit nicer to Brady during Wednesday’s Hall of Fame ceremony.
Related: Tickets To Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall Of Fame Induction Sold Out Crazy Fast