Monday night's wild-card game marked the final time Bill Belichick would appear on ESPN2's Manningcast with brothers Peyton and Eli as Belichick will begin coaching football at North Carolina for the upcoming college season.
The Manning brothers wore Belichick's iconic quarter-zip hoodies in honor of his last show this season. Belichick has appeared in the first half of the Manningcast throughout the 2024 season after his 24-year tenure with the New England Patriots ended last year.
While the Manning brothers were thanking Belichick for his contributions to their show this season, the elder Manning expressed how he liked working with the legendary coach more than playing against him. The younger brother, Eli, disagreed.
"Thank you so much for joining us this year, we had a blast," Peyton said. "It was more fun being your teammate than having to go against you. I know that much for sure."
"Peyt, you kinda speak for yourself there. I kinda liked playing against Bill sometimes," Eli replied, prompting laughter from his brother and Belichick.
Peyton Manning to Bill Belichick: "It was more fun being your teammate than having to go against you. I know that much for sure."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 14, 2025
Eli Manning: "Peyt, you kinda speak for yourself there. I kinda liked playing against Bill sometimes."
And UNC content followed. #NFL #ManningCast https://t.co/73xlAa95Zp pic.twitter.com/wqYRfBrQoI
Manning is, of course, referencing the two Super Bowl titles he's won over Belichick and the Patriots in the 2007 and '11 seasons. The former New York Giants quarterback went 3–2 vs. the Patriots in his career. The elder Manning, however, posted a 9–15 record vs. the Patriots during his career. He did beat the Patriots in three AFC Championship games, though.
The Manningcast won't be the same without Belichick next season as he's provided fun and interesting context throughout the season on Monday nights. Instead, fans will see him back in his element as a head coach, this time of a collegiate program.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Eli Manning Had Perfect Quip About Facing Bill Belichick in NFL.