Eli Manning. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Eli Manning responds to Tom Brady's new alternate universe ad

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 12/12/23

Tom Brady shared a new ad Tuesday morning on social media, which shows his growing acting skills as part of a new Fanatics campaign for "Brady Day" (12/12 in honor of his jersey number).

The spot imagines an alternate universe where the "GOAT" chose a career as an MLB catcher instead of an NFL quarterback. Instead of crafting a 23-year Hall-of-Fame career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers filled with Super Bowls and MVPs, the individual accolades shift to the diamond and include six World Series titles with the now-defunct Montreal Expos and a seventh with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Brady was originally selected by the Expos in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB June Amateur Draft, before choosing to play four seasons of college football at Michigan from 1996-99. He was then chosen by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft and the rest was history.

Less than a half hour after Brady shared the ad, one of his biggest rivals (albeit friendly) took a jab at "TB12."

Well, it wasn’t ALL a dream…#BradyDay @Topps @SFGiants @giants https://t.co/3QsD3cngEg pic.twitter.com/GWHCU6lHjo
— Eli Manning (@EliManning) December 12, 2023

Eli Manning was never a baseball star and doesn't have any significant obvious connection to the Bay Area, although his NFL team shares a name with the San Francisco baseball club. The four-time Pro Bowler was destined for a career as an NFL signal-caller with father Archie Manning spending 14 years in the league as a quarterback and older brother Peyton paving the way for Eli with his own Hall of Fame career.

The New York Giants legend was a solid player through his 16 seasons (all with the New York Giants), making four Pro Bowls. Where the Mississippi product cemented his legacy was in the Super Bowl though.

Manning led the G-Men to a 17-14 victory over Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII in February 2008, earning game MVP honors after tossing the game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left in the contest. The result was arguably the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, as New England was looking to become the first team to complete a perfect 19-0 season.

Four years later, Manning and the Giants again stunned Brady and the Patriots, knocking off the favorites 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI behind another MVP performance from the 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner.

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