Getty Images/ZUMAPressTom Brady and Peyton Manning may be rivals on the field, but the Patriots quarterback is showing his support for his "good friend" off the field amidst his latest controversy.
Reports began circulating that Manning had been receiving human growth hormones in his wife's name while recovering from neck surgery four years ago. Despite the claims, however, Brady has continued to praise the Broncos quarterback.
"I have a lot of personal thoughts that really are personal to me," Brady told WEEI radio on Monday morning. "Peyton, I would consider him a good friend. You hate to see your good friends go through anything like that."
He added, "I fully support Peyton. My friendship with him over the years, he's a guy that I can always count on, and has been someone that's always been so supportive of me. We'll have lifelong friendships. … Truthfully, I don't put much into anything [regarding the allegations]. I have a lot of friends, I have a lot of support, and he is the same. I'm a big fan and supporter of his. That's how I really feel about everything."
Brady—who's faced scandal head-on after the infamous Deflategate outrage that took over much of 2015—also couldn't help but acknowledge his admiration for Manning, promising he will get through the difficult time.
"He's been a great player for this league, for his teams, for his organizations," the Patriots' star continued. "He's been one of the best players to ever play the game. Nobody has more respect for Peyton than I do, and everything that he's accomplished. There's always challenging times, but he's a tough guy. I know that. He's a very mentally and physically tough guy. … He's a big boy. He knows how to handle these things."
Meanwhile, Manning has also responded to the reports, calling them absolutely false.
"I think I rotated between being angry, furious," Manning told ESPN. "Disgusted is really how I feel, sickened by it...It's completely fabricated, complete trash, garbage—there's some more adjectives I'd like to be able to use. But it really makes me sick."
He added, "It stings me, whoever this guy is, insinuating I cut corners, I broke NFL rules in order to get healthy. It's a joke. It's a freakin' joke."
The Denver Broncos also released a statement to show support for their quarterback. "Knowing Peyton Manning and everything he stands for, the Denver Broncos support him 100 percent. These are false claims made to Al Jazeera, and we don't believe the report."