After winning the 2016 Super Bowl, Peyton Manning decided to hang up the cleats and call it quits on his career. Since his debut in 1998, Peyton has been the most successful regular season quarterback. But now there is a huge void that needs to be filled. I’m not talking about the Broncos void at quarterback, I’m talking about the void for Tom Brady’s rival.
The two quarterbacks have been battling for over a decade with Tom Brady leading the series both in regular season and Super Bowl wins. So even though the rivalry may not have been very competitive, it was a rivalry because it is two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever live.
So with Manning gone, who can be considered Brady’s biggest rival? Next to Brady, Rodgers is probably the best quarterback to be currently playing. But the two teams are in separate conferences and rarely face off. What about Peyton’s little brother Eli? Eli has beaten the Patriots in multiple Super Bowls, but isn’t as talented.
The only man that can possibly be considered a rival to Tom Brady is Big Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben is a two-time Super Bowl Champion and arguably a top 5 quarterback in the NFL. The reason Ben is considered a rival and not anyone else in the league is because of the frequency that the two future hall of famers face each other in big games. Brady and Big Ben are not only two of the top QB’s, but they also play in the same conference on very competitive teams. Sure, New England has dominated the AFC for almost a decade, but the Steelers are always right with them. With Denver’s roster taking a huge hit, they should no longer be considered contenders until they can get a consistent quarterback. This opens the door wide for Pittsburg to fill that spot as the conferences number two team. This could lead to a few years’ worth of battles for AFC supremacy.
– Michael Hersey
