Shannon Sharpe not surprised to see Tom Brady leave training camp for Peyton Manning HoF enshrinement

On Sunday, Peyton Manning was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a first-ballot player. He then spent nine pleasurable minutes and 30 seconds on his enshrinement speech, which was over the limit, but with all due respect to other Hall of Famers, this was Peyton Manning.

In attendance was his good friend and rival - GOAT, whatever you want to call him - Tom Brady. This proved to be an oddly peculiar situation due to the Buccaneers quarterback being in the midst of training camp heading into the 2021 NFL season. The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer was absent from practice to attend Peyton Manning's enshrinement.

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning's illustrious history

NFL Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony

The two quarterbacks have faced off on numerous occasions, proving to be powerful rivals throughout their NFL careers. The Brady and Manning rivalry is arguably the most glorious in league history.

The two iconic quarterbacks have faced off 16 times and have provided NFL fans with unforgettable showcases. Their innate talent flourished whenever the two faced off. Brady holds an 11-5 record over Manning and has the edge in Super Bowls, by far.

However, you can't mention one of those quarterbacks without thinking about the other and their resounding resumes. Their names will forever be linked together in NFL history.

Peyton Manning on FOX broadcast, on his Hall of Fame induction: "Got some old rivals, Tom Brady is coming in, sitting in my section. I'm not sure how my Colts teammates will handle that. But that means a lot, that he's taking the time."Brady-Manning rivalry. All-timer.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 6, 2021

Most career PASS TD in NFL history:1. Tom Brady (581)^2. Drew Brees (571)3. Peyton Manning (539)4. Brett Favre (508)5. Philip Rivers (421) pic.twitter.com/Ec3mzdaKU1

— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) August 4, 2021

Although Shannon Sharpe of Undisputed fame was shocked at Brady's attendance, he stated that he would've been more surprised if Tom Brady didn't come and show his respect to his longtime friend Peyton Manning, comparing the rivalry to all-time NBA greats Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

With Brady in attendance, the newly inducted Hall of Famer made some light remarks in regards to his everlasting rival.

"Next year, acceptance speeches will probably shrink to four minutes. And speaking of rivals, my good friend Tom Brady is here tonight. By the time Tom Brady is inducted in his first year of eligibility in the year 2035, he'll only have time to post his acceptance speech on his Instagram account," Manning said.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have a unique relationship and it was as evident as ever in that quote, serving as a testament to their relationship off the field and Brady's desire to leave camp early to attend the enshrinement.

Brady is entering his 21st season and is looking to hoist a consecutive Vince Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champion. It's only a matter of time until we see the seven-time champ give his Hall of Fame speech.

Nonetheless, the perpetual friendship between the two goes back decades, and it's enjoyable watching the once formidable foes support each other in the afterlife of football.