Eli Manning Predicts 'Tough' Transition For Tom Brady In Tampa Bay
BOSTON (CBS) -- With Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski teaming up with some highly talented offensive weapons with the Buccaneers, optimism is riding high in Tampa Bay. Fans are excited at the prospect of Brady leading the team to glory, and sportsbooks consider the team as one of five teams with the best chances of winning the Super Bowl.
Despite all of that positivity, you can count Eli Manning among the doubters.
"I think it's gonna be tough for him, just the fact he can't be doing everything he wants to be doing with the team and getting ready," Manning said of Brady during an interview on Sirius XM, per the New York Post. "Obviously they have some playmakers at receiver there, when you got talented receivers it makes it a little bit easier to get on the same page with 'em. It will be interesting how it all plays out and how quickly he can just adjust to a new organization and new players and new offense, all those new things, especially with the limited timing he's gonna have being with them."
That's not the first time that Eli Manning has dashed the Super Bowl hopes of Tom Brady, of course.
In this instance, Manning seems to be weighing the trickiness of joining a new offense during an offseason where meetings and practices cannot happen, due to social distancing.
Developing that chemistry with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate -- not to mention the offensive line and the running backs -- will certainly be difficult for Brady without the option of hitting the practice field. The team will have to rely on video conferences and strong communication in order to be able to hit the ground running when the season begins.
It's certainly possible that it works out, but from his vantage point, Eli Manning can see bumpy seas ahead for Brady and the Bucs.
