Peyton Manning really appears to have a future in politics, if he so chooses.

The Denver Broncos quarterback has mastered the art of giving usable sound clips without really offending anyone at all in the process. The latest example of that has to do with his old pal, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

The two players have been rivals for just about their entire careers, but they've also developed a friendship built on mutual respect over the years. So it should come as no surprise that, when asked about Brady's four-game Deflategate suspension being lifted, Manning gave a careful, calculated answer.

"I've said it before, Tom is a friend of mine," Manning said Friday on "The Dan Patrick Show." "He'll always be a friend of mine. It's a situation that I don't know all the details; I have not read all of the reports -- any of the reports -- and our friendship won't change no matter what happens."

That's probably a legitimate statement, too, if you think about. These two have met a handful of times in the playoffs over the years, so if that hasn't driven a wedge yet, then it's probably safe to assume nothing will.

You can see the full interview below with the Deflategate comments coming around the 4:20 mark.

Thumbnail photo via  Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images