Peyton and Eli Manning won two Super Bowls each in their legendary careers as NFL quarterbacks, but the brothers never squared off against each other on the sport’s grandest stage.
Peyton, 48, is thankful they never had the opportunity.
The Manning brothers joined Travis and Jason Kelce on their “New Heights” podcast on Thursday, February 6, where they talked about the hypothetical scenario.
“I don’t know if it would have been fun to play you in a Super Bowl or not,” Peyton, the former Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts quarterback, told Eli.
That’s when Jason humorously interjected, saying, “I’ll tell you right now, it was not fun at all, Eli. It was f—ing terrible.”
Jason, 37, and the Philadelphia Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII to Travis, 35, and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023.
“I had a pretty good time, I don’t know,” Travis quipped of the matchup.
“The one thing Eli has no clue and no understanding — and believe me he’s proud of it — is what it’s like to lose a Super Bowl. It’s a horrible feeling,” Peyton continued.
Eli famously defeated the New England Patriots twice as the New York Giants’ quarterback. Peyton, meanwhile, won two and lost two Super Bowls.
“Obviously, winning is as great as you think it is and losing is as bad as you think it is. So I’m kind of glad that it didn’t happen because I know that was tough on you two, tough on your family,” Peyton told the Kelce brothers.
As Travis has gone from football star to A-list celebrity amid his relationship with Taylor Swift, his parents, Ed and Donna, have also been thrust into the spotlight. Peyton recognized that and applauded them for how they dealt with the last Eagles vs. Chiefs Super Bowl.
“Eli and I played three times in the regular season, my parents were an absolute wreck, just in a regular season game,” he said. “Now you take that to the Super Bowl and knowing the attention a quarterback is going to get in a Super Bowl, win or lose, knowing that one had to win and one had to lose. I probably wouldn’t wish that on my family so I’m probably glad that it didn’t happen.”
While the Mannings are now retired and Jason hung up his uniform after the 2023-24 season, Travis is getting ready for another Super Bowl appearance. His Chiefs will face the Eagles again in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
