Sometimes rivalries don’t only exist just on the field.

In a year when other-worldly quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady both have essentially needs for new contracts, the one who gets his deal done first will almost certainly become the highest-paid player in the NFL.

At least for a few days until the other guy’s deal trumps the first one.

Whether it was these two guys battling it out on the field for the right to go to Super Bowl or trying to beat each other’s records, the Brady/Manning rivalry was the best one of the ’00s decade.

And now they will be battling it out for the biggest contract.

So–in typical Patriots eff you style–the Pats could conceivably announce Brady’s contract on Friday or Saturday to take attention away from the Colts’ appearance in the Super Bowl. Remember when Brady and Belichick were hell-bent in 2007 on Brady getting Manning’s season passing touchdown record?

And what better way for the Colts to trump that story by giving Manning a bigger deal right after they win the Super Bowl on Sunday?

It almost seems too plausible not to happen.