You never know what’s going to go down when Eli and Peyton Manning get together to talk football. The popular ManningCast — an alternate broadcast that provides more laid-back live coverage of select Monday Night Football games — was in full swing as the NFL playoffs kicked off on the 2026 TV schedule last weekend. Eli marked the occasion by presenting his brother with an absolutely brutal gift.
“Gift” might be a stretch but, to give credit where it’s due, it was beautifully wrapped. The former New York Giant provided Peyton Manning with a framed collage featuring the football card of every player who intercepted the Indianapolis Colts quarterback during his rookie season. Check out his reaction:
The gift that keeps on giving: a frame with the card of every guy who intercepted Peyton his rookie year.What a thoughtful gift, @EliManning ❤️ pic.twitter.com/hBf7cHvBqiJanuary 13, 2026
I mean, do you even have a brother if he’s not pulling stunts like this?
Peyton Manning has cemented his legacy as one of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time, getting inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 after winning two Super Bowls during an 18-season career. However, back in 1998, the future was more of a question mark.
After the Indianapolis Colts made him the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, Peyton Manning went on to throw 28 interceptions in his rookie season — a record that still stands to this day.
The poster-sized collage got a big smile and a chuckle out of Peyton, with Eli Manning saying he wanted to thank him for being such a great co-host. He pushed his older brother even further, saying:
I’m sure you’ll put that in your bedroom, I assume. Somewhere nice where you can look at it every day.
Of course, Eli Manning has always supported his brother, and it actually seemed like Peyton enjoyed seeing all of those names and faces. He noted that at least one of the defensive players had gotten him twice because, of course, Eli was nice enough to provide a “x2” by that player’s name to specify. The ex-Bronco marveled at the memory of that season, saying:
It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Eli Manning — who also was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, going to the New York Giants in 2004 — only threw 9 interceptions in his own rookie season. So he probably felt comfortable enough taking this shot at his brother.
However, it’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison. Eli only started 7 games that season, while Peyton started in all 16 of his. Peyton may have had more interceptions, but he also had significantly more passing yards and 26 touchdowns (also a rookie record at the time) to Eli’s 6.
As for where in his home he might find space for Eli Manning’s sentimental reminder, Peyton employed his signature dry humor to say:
Yeah, I got a perfect spot for that.
Moments like this are exactly what makes the ManningCast so beloved by sports fans. Even those who weren’t invested in the Houston Texans’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers could appreciate the banter between the former quarterbacks. Hopefully, we’ll be able to look forward to more of these antics next season.
