Eli Manning rubbishes concerns about Tom Brady's 11-day hiatus affecting Bucs: "Guys have done that before"

Eli Manning may have defeated Tom Brady in the Super Bowl twice, but he still respects the historic career that his former rival has built in the National Football League.

Manning was recently asked by Mike Greenberg what everyone should expect out of Brady after the dramatic last few months that he has had. Greenberg was referring to Brady's retirement U-turn and 11-day absence from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' training camp.

Manning noted that Brady has been playing the game for so long that he knows how to deal with issues off the field. He went on to say that the Buccaneers quarterback knows his team so well that it won't be a problem. Manning then noted that Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan took the same route in 2007.

At the time, Strahan was pondering retirement and decided not to report to training camp. He ultimately did a few weeks later. The New York Giants went on to defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII that season.

“This guy knows how to play football. He knows the offense. He knows the players. The fact that he took a little break there in training camp ... guys have done that before. Michael Strahan did it with us, except he just didn’t report.

"He’s like, ‘I don’t think I’m coming back. I don’t know if I’m coming back.’ He just waited until the second week of training camp to come. Brady did the same thing just a different approach,” said Eli Manning.

No doubt all eyes will be on the seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback this Sunday night as he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers open up their season against the Dallas Cowboys on the road at AT&T Stadium.

Michael Jordan stars in commercial ahead of Tom Brady's 23rd season

F1 Grand Prix of Miami

On Thursday night, during the 2022 NFL season opener between the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills, NBC debuted a commercial for this Sunday's primetime game. The matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys has been highly anticipated since it is a rematch of the Week 1 game from last season.

In the commercial, NBA legend Michael Jordan spoke about the quarterback's legacy in the NFL. He also joked that he waited two years to retire, and the Buccaneers' quarterback couldn't make it two months before returning to the game.

"I was away from the game for almost two years. He didn't make two months. But you know what that tells me? How much he wants it. How much he needs it. TB12, season 23. He is back."

The seven-time Super Bowl champion is back indeed. This season, given all the drama that has taken place in the off-season, will certainly be a unique one to watch. Will this be the quarterback's last season in the NFL? Not knowing will surely make each game that much more significant.