Tom Brady reveals how Peyton Manning directly affected 4643 of Rob Gronkowski’s receiving yards

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were one of the best partnerships of the 2010 decade in the NFL. The quarterback and the tight end won four Super Bowls together in their careers, and as soon as they're allowed to, they'll be together in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But Tom Brady revealed recently that their success was helped by his greatest-ever rival. That's because the quarterback installed a play that he learned from Peyton Manning, and as soon as it got into New England's offense, according to Brady, it became one of their greatest plays:

"I met with Peyton Manning, for, like, three days. And he taught me the play that he used to run a lot. We ended up installing the play in our offense, and we've got Rob Gronkowski, and it ended up, probably, half of Gronk's receiving yards were on this concept. Swear to god. Thanks, Peyton!"

Gronkowski never played with another quarterback during his career. He was a second-round pick for the Patriots in 2010 and played there until 2018, retiring at the end of that season. However, he returned to the league in 2020, when Brady moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they had two more years there.

Tom Brady's best friend: the legendary career of Rob Gronkowksi

During his nine seasons with the New England Patriots, the superstar tight end decimated several NFL records, such as the most touchdowns in a single season by a tight end (18), most receiving touchdowns in the history of the Patriots (80) and most career postseason receiving yards by a tight end (1,163).

Gronk is a four-time First-Team All-Pro and a three-time Super Bowl champion. With his large frame and athleticism, defenses always had trouble trying to stop him with a linebacker or a safety. He also had excellent blocking technique, which was a valuable asset for Bill Belichick's scheme.

Rob Gronkowski then added another ring to his collection with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after coming back from retirement. He returned to the league after one year away: as his favorite quarterback moved to a new adventure, he decided to join him before officially calling it a career in 2022.