Tom Brady has a hilarious interaction with old rival Eli Manning at Fanatics Fest 2025

Fanatics Fest 2025 in New York brought about a spectacular display of Tom Brady and Eli Manning's playfulness. In true WWE fashion, Brady’s entrance was nothing short of theatrical. At one point, he surprised the audience by ripping an Eli Manning jersey after seeing it on a fan. It did not take him long to respond to what seemed like an unintentional heckle from the crowd.

Hurried shreds and laughter echoed as Tom Brady shamelessly ripped the jersey apart. Eli knew exactly how to maintain the humor one step further. Eli initially responded by going right into fully comedic mode, himself coming over to join Brady on stage and jump onto his back. It seemed as if they were picking up exactly where their prior “feud” left off, mandating silly reunions between extreme frenemies of NFL history, rather lighter ones throughout the audience roared again, having never before witnessed such insane behavior coming from football legends pretending.

Even with a remarkable seven Super Bowl rings to his name, Brady has never quite gotten over the hurt of losing two championship finals to Manning. Both losses were inflicted by the New York Giants, with the first one putting an end to the New England Patriots' perfect season in 2007.

A Tom Brady rivalry reimagined for a new era of NFL fans

The Manning-Brady rivalry is ingrained in the history of the NFL, highlighted by intense playoff battles, remarkable bouts of player fitness over the years, and culminating with utter surprises during Patriot outings with the New England Giants in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.

However, their interaction at Fanatic Fest showed where both men have moved on to after those battles — exchanging shoulder pads and construction helmets for fanfare signings and television careers.

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As a new partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and starting his second season in the booth, Tom Brady remains a key figure in football culture. Acknowledged for his standup timing on ManningCast with ESPN, Manning has successfully shifted into a much-loved media figure.

It was not only surprising but heartwarming to note their joint willingness to poke fun at each other while also highlighting the profound admiration that exists behind all the jokes after so many years.

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