Peyton Manning and Tom Brady Reveal Receiver Mount Rushmore, Jerry Rice Only Unanimous Pick

Former San Francisco 49ers wideout Jerry Rice is considered one of the greatest wideouts with the most all-time receptions and receiving yards.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady Reveal Receiver Mount Rushmore, Jerry Rice Only Unanimous Pick

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning; Jerry Rice (Images via NBC News/ ESPN/Bleacher Report)

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Appearing on the TBD Tribute podcast, former rival quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady reflected on the legends of the game, each revealing their personal “Mount Rushmore” of pass-catchers. In a rare meeting of football royalty, the list included seven names, with the only shared name between the Hall of Fame duo being the three-time Super Bowl-winning Jerry Rice.

Both Brady and Manning had included one of their teammates, the former including long-time teammate and tight end Rob Gronkowski, while the latter included Marvin Harrison. In addition to these names, Manning named Raymond Berry and Tony Gonzalez. Brady, on the other hand, had included Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald.

Jerry Rice was the constant with his three Super Bowls, leading the league in receiving yards and touchdowns four times. The 62-year-old, despite leaving the field many years ago, still leads the league in career receptions (1.549), receiving yards (22,895), and receiving touchdowns (197).

He was also named the greatest player in the history of the league in 2010 by the NFL Network’s NFL Films production. It’s not surprising that both Manning and Brady unanimously selected Rice for their pass-catcher Mt. Rushmore.

The rest of the choices were somehow uniquely fitting the quarterback’s profiles. Peyton Manning’s choice reflected pass catchers whose technique aligned with precision, consistency, and discipline. He, himself is known for being a calculated technician when it comes to throws. All of them are also part of the NFL Hall of Fame.

Harrison, who played his entire career in Indianapolis, is known for his route-running chemistry and quiet dominance. Berry represented an older era, and his smooth and intelligent gameplay helped shape how modern receivers run routes. Again, Gonzalez had also made a significant change in pass-catching, making the tight end a strong position to build chemistry and throw passes for quarterbacks.

Tom Brady’s selections embodied explosive playmaking and reliability under pressure. His selections seemed to have stemmed from his own experiences and playoff wars, and championship moments. He included two of the pass catchers he played with, Moss and Gronkowski. Unlike Manning, Brady’s selections were a mixed bag as well. Gronkowski and Larry Fitzgerald are not HOFers, although one of them might be one soon.

Larry Fitzgerald among top contenders to join Jerry Rice and others in the NFL Hall of Fame

In the first year of eligibility, Arizona Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald was among the nominees for the Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2026. After being drafted in 2004 from the Pittsburgh Panthers as the third overall pick, Fitzgerald made waves in the league in his formative years.

Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald (Image via The Boston Globe)

Fitzgerald led the league in receptions in his second year in the league with 107 receptions from 165 targets for 1,409 yards. He has led the league in receptions once more in the 2016 season while hitting a career high of 109 on two different occasions. He also led the league in receiving touchdowns twice, in 2008 and 2009, with 12 and 13, respectively.

Fitzgerald, an eleven-time Pro Bowler, has a few records also to his name. He has the most touchdown receptions and as most overall receptions in the postseason. He’s also the first wideout to record more than 150 receptions against three different franchises, recording the same against all three of his division rivals. When he retired in 2020, the Minneapolitan finished with 261 starts from 263 games and registered 1,432 receptions for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns.

Despite his decorations, the induction won’t be simple. There are several other big names in the running. That being said, the list of nominees will be trimmed to 50 in October, then narrowed down to 25 semifinalists, and finally to 15 finalists.

Eventually, these finalists will be voted on by the selection committee ahead of the Super Bowl in February. Four players from last year’s class are expected to advance directly to the final seven, securing their place among the top 15 candidates for 2026.

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