National Football League

Peyton Manning on Deflategate: Tom Brady is my friend

Published May. 9, 2015 11:15 a.m. ET

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By Darren Hartwell

Several NFL players and coaches have taken shots at Tom Brady since the Wells Report was released, but the New England Patriots quarterback’s biggest on-field rival wasn’t among them.

Peyton Manning returned to Indianapolis for a fundraiser Friday at a children’s hospital named in his honor, and the Denver Broncos quarterback pleaded the fifth when asked about Brady’s role in DeflateGate.

“Like I said, I’ll speak it as clearly and slowly as I can,” Manning told reporters, via The Associated Press. “He’s my friend, he’ll always be my friend. I don’t know what happened, I don’t have much more than that for you.”

Brady took a similar stance in a public appearance Thursday, telling Jim Gray he hadn’t digested the report fully and had no reaction.

The two quarterbacks, who have faced off 16 times over their storied NFL careers, have managed to maintain a cordial relationship off the gridiron, so Manning’s unwillingness to take a shot at his peer isn’t surprising.

Others have been less shy about voicing their opinions about Brady, most notably Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine and Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Yet Brady only should be worried about the opinion of NFL vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, who will decide the Patriots quarterback’s punishment for his role in DeflateGate. Things certainly don’t look good for Brady at the moment, as the latest report suggests he will be suspended by the league in announcement expected next week.

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