The big differences between Tom Brady, Peyton Manning cases

2:24 PM ET

The comparison is inevitable: In the past 18 months, the NFL has investigated its two best quarterbacks of this generation for possible violations of league policy.

Peyton Manning was exonerated Monday because the league determined it had no “credible evidence” that he had been provided with or used any substances banned by its drug policy.

Tom Brady was suspended four games, and gave up on the appeal process earlier this month, after the league determined he was “more probable than not” to have been aware of an alleged scheme to deflate footballs prior to the 2014 AFC Championship Game. The accompanying Wells Report relied on communication logs and other circumstantial details but offered no overt proof of Brady’s involvement. Brady has denied all wrongdoing.

So what happened here? Did the NFL play favorites? Why did the NFL issue a 243-page report on Brady’s accusations and dismiss Manning’s in a four-paragraph release? Is Manning’s absolution evidence of a league agenda against Brady and his New England Patriots?

As juicy a story as it might be, I don’t think we can make such inferences about the NFL’s approach to the two cases. I do, however, think it was no accident the league noted Monday that Manning and his family “were fully cooperative with the investigation and provided both interviews and access to all records sought by the investigators.” (Al-Jezeera had reported HGH was sent to Manning in the name of his wife, Ashley.)

Brady, of course, declined to provide his cell phone to investigator Ted Wells and ultimately discarded the phone. (Brady later said he provided records of all texts and emails Wells requested and that, as a union member, he was under no obligation to set a new …

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