Tom Brady's Halloween Joke About Peyton Manning Leaves Fans Sparring

John Newby

11/03/2019 02:25 pm EST

Late last week, Tom Brady celebrated Halloween by going trick or treating with his children while dressed up as a Stormtrooper from Star Wars. However, that was not the only manner in which he enjoyed the holiday. He also made waves on social media with a well-timed joke at Peyton Manning's expense.

In a post on social media, Brady showed himself standing next to a skeleton that was wearing an Indianapolis Colts Manning jersey. "Getting old Peyton," Brady wrote to truly make his point clear.

Technically, Brady is only one year younger than Manning, but that didn't prevent him from making the joke at his peer's expense. It also helps that the 42-year-old quarterback of the Patriots is still going strong in his NFL career while Manning has been retired since winning the Super Bowl to finish the 2015 season.

While the joke was harmless overall, that doesn't mean that the fans of both quarterbacks weren't up in arms on social media. In fact, the opposite is true. Those that admire Manning and despise Brady, or vice versa, were all focused on this shot at the future Hall of Famer.

As expected, the comments section was filled with arguments about which quarterback is truly better, as well as those surrounding Brady's status as the GOAT.

(Photo Credit: Jim Davis/The Boston Globe/Getty)

Father Time

When Peyton Manning won Super Bowl 50 as a member of the Denver Broncos, he did so by accepting a different role on the team. Instead of being the big-armed touchdown machine that he was in earlier years, he was instead viewed as more of a game manager while the top defense shut down opposing teams.

For many football fans, this is a similar situation to that in New England. Tom Brady isn't creating highlights at a rapid pace per usual and is instead letting his defense take center stage.

The Collection

Was this Peyton Manning jersey simply decorating the front yard of a house in the New England area, or was it part of a private collection? The Colts don't have a massive fanbase, and many fans on social media find it hard to believe that it was just lying around.

If true, where did this jersey come from? There are many that envision the Patriots QB opening his closet, pulling out a Manning jersey and using it as a decoration in front of his own house.

Facial Features

Love or hate the decision to make a joke at Peyton Manning's expense, there are many fans on social media that have different issues with Tom Brady's post. Specifically, they don't believe that this skeleton is very accurate with its facial features.

Throughout his career, the Colts and Broncos quarterback was known for having a slightly larger forehead. For many, this prompted jokes about all of his knowledge forcing his head to expand.

'SNL'

When Brady released this joke on social media, it was met with the expectation that Peyton Manning would have some form of a rebuttal. Would he make a joke at Brady's expense, or would he respond in a more angry manner?

As it turns out, there are many fans that want Manning to recreate a skit from one of his appearances on SNL. In the particular clip, the former NFL QB was shown playing football with kids for a United Way commercial. However, he was taking it far too seriously and kept hitting kids with the ball as punishment for their mistakes.

My Emotions

With Tom Brady deciding to join Twitter this year, there has been a mix of emotions for many on social media. Brady has long been a divisive figure, and the fans love to criticize him. However, he has been one of the best on social media due to the jokes posted and the random videos.

For his longtime "haters," seeing Brady dominate social media has been excruciating. The Patriots QB already has six Super Bowl wins, as well as a multitude of NFL records. How is he also so adept at social media?

Records

Brady recently moved into second place on the all-time passing yards list when he passed Manning. This put him within striking distance of the current leader (Drew Brees) and made it possible that he would be soon breaking yet another record. For Patriots fans, this joke about Manning was perfectly-timed due to passing him on the list.

Of course, this comment also created a fierce reaction from the Manning fans. They wanted to make it very clear that Brady has been paired with the NFL's unquestioned best coach throughout his career while Manning has worked with Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell and Gary Kubiak.

Check Your Clothes

Love or hate Brady, the fans on social media couldn't argue with the fact that this was a quality joke. The Patriots QB knows how to get the laughs, especially on social media, and the comment about Manning's age was just another example.

That being said, there were many that felt this joke lost a little bit of oomph. The reason? Apparently, seeing the Patriots QB dressed like a character from Star Wars was laughable.

Stat Sheet

Tom Brady may have six Super Bowl rings compared to the two owned by Peyton Manning, but that little detail is less important to fans of the Colts and Broncos QB. For them, it's the head-to-head record that truly matters. In this instance, Manning has the better numbers.

Throughout their careers, Manning and Brady played each other 17 times. Of these matchups, five took place in the playoffs while the other 12 were in the regular season. Technically, the Patriots QB has the overall lead in the series at 11-6, but Manning won more games with the Super Bowl on the line.

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