Peyton Manning divulged the major difference he sees between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes - though many fans appeared to disagree with his analysis.
On Sunday, Manning reminisced on his playing days and the current state of the NFL while speaking to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith during the culminating day of Fanatics Fest NYC. Among the multitude of topics discussed in the 40-minute segment titled “The Sheriff” was the 48-year-old’s opinion on “beggar” quarterbacks - specifically those who routinely implore officials to throw a flag after taking big hits.
“I don't like when quarterbacks beg for the personal foul call,” he explained to members of the media in attendance, including The Mirror U.S. “I told Ray [Lewis] one time that if they threw a personal foul for a late hit on me that I didn't agree with, that I would decline the penalty. And he got so mad and insulted.
“When quarterbacks beg for it, that's what makes the defensive players mad,” he continued. “You know, when they go, ‘How could you hit me like that?’ If the quarterbacks wouldn't beg, then all these defensive players wouldn't get as mad.
“But look, the quarterbacks, we want to keep them out there. It's good for the game when they're playing.”
The Pro Football Hall of Famer’s comments opened up a whole other can of worms, as Smith questioned Manning whether he had any specific signal-caller in mind. “I didn't bring up beggars, but you did,” he said. “Who’s the best beggar in the NFL?”
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Manning didn’t refrain from naming names, taking immediate aim at Brady, who shared the Javits Center Theater stage with Smith during Fanatics Fest’s “True Grit" panel on Friday. “Well, I think the guy you interviewed a couple days ago was pretty good,” Manning quipped.
“It was kind of natural, right? He kind of had this look to the guy, you know, so it seemed to work for him.”
Once Smith asked Manning which active NFL player would be crowned the “biggest beggar,” several fans in the audience shouted Mahomes’ name. “The thing about Mahomes [is] he's not a big slider now. Patrick runs, Patrick gets his yards and he still has legs,” Manning replied. “So, I think Brady still takes the title.”
Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback infamously butted heads with officials after wide receiver Kadarius Toney was penalized for being offsides on a crucial play during a Week 14 loss to the Buffalo Bills . The controversial call wiped away a go-ahead touchdown, prompting Mahomes to publicly chastize the referees’ ruling.
Due to his outburst, Mahomes was fined $50,000 for “abusive, threatening or insulting language to officials” and public criticism of officials, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, meanwhile, was also fined $100,000 for denouncing the officials while speaking to the media at a post-game press conference.
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