When Tom Brady threw shade at rival Peyton Manning's bizarre endorsements - "Not going to do a Chunky Soup ad"

Throughout his career, Tom Brady was for all intents and purposes, the face of the NFL.

From his Cinderella ride to Super Bowl XXXVI at the end of the 2001 season to his final retirement four months ago, he parlayed his successes in football into various off-field endeavors like, most notably, his eponymous fitness brand.

However, at one time, his intraconference rival Peyton Manning was also establishing himself as one of the icons of the gridiron, both on and off the field. His endorsements were of the unusual kind, as Brady mentioned to then-Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly in 2007 when discussing his aversion to celebrity:

"You realize you're turning down a lot of dough, yeah, but it's just not me. I'm just not going to go out and do a Chunky Soup ad. … Like that (MasterCard) ad Peyton did about:

'Cut that meat! Cut that meat!' Our D-line yelled that every time he came up to the line. 'Cut that meat!' Man, I'm so glad I didn't do that one."

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What else did Tom Brady say in his 2007 interview with Sports Illustrated?

In that same interview, Brady discussed his initial struggles with finding love. At the time, he was dating model Gisele Bundchen after splitting from actress Bridget Moynahan. However, according to him, he was once some sort of loser when it came to romantic relationships:

"Why me? I was the little sports nerd in high school who hardly ever had a girlfriend."

He also talked about seeing Jack, his then-newborn son, for the first time; and his absence:

"I kind of cuddled him like a football. I'd love to be out there all the time, year-round, but it's hard to make that a reality. But I'll start lobbying for off days throughout the year."

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What is Tom Brady's net worth as of 2023?

As of January 2023, Brady is estimated to be worth $270 million. That deal is set to increase once he begins his role as Fox's lead NFL analyst in 2024. His deal with the network is worth $375 million for ten years, the most lucrative in sportscasting history.

Apart from his career earnings from on-field play and endorsements, as well as future ones from the booth, he also has ownership stakes in the Las Vegas Aces and Raiders. He hopes they will get him back on track after his failed investments in FTX.