Tom Brady and the New England Patriots often got the better of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, especially when it mattered most in the playoffs.

Although the two were bitter rivals, they also shared a quiet friendship over the years. Both quarterbacks are among the best to ever play the game and have put on quite a show for years.

Now, however, a new story has emerged about how Manning actually helped the Patriots in a big way. He played a huge role in creating the legend that New England star tight end Rob Gronkowski became.

During a recent interview with Bryson DeChambeau, Brady opened up about the story.

“I met with Peyton Manning once. …We met in Tennessee in 2010 for about three days. And I learned a play that he did a lot and I didn’t know how to perform it,” Brady said. “And he taught me the piece. We ended up installing the play in our offense and we got Rob Gronkowski, and in the end probably half of Gronk’s receiving yards were on that concept. And of course it was like Gronk was an absolute beast, but… I say thank you, Peyton.

That won’t be news Colts fans like to hear.

Brady and Gronkowski developed into one of the most dominant offensive duos in the NFL. They played at that level for years, and it stayed that way even after they left the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For New England fans, that makes things even sweeter. Hearing that Manning actually helped the Patriots become a more dangerous dynasty is one hell of a story.

Many fans would love to go back and see another showdown between Brady and Manning for the first time. There was plenty of drama every time the two superstar quarterbacks played and the rivalry between the two teams was one of the best in the NFL.

Those days may be over, but there are likely to be many more stories coming out in the future.

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