Dave Gettleman talks 'tough decisions' with Eli Manning, but what choice does he have?

If you want to get your radar up, New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman’s comments on Eli Manning should do the trick.

According to Art Stapleton of the Associated Press, Gettleman said he had an “extensive, no holds barred” talk with Manning.

“We’re trying to build sustained success,” Gettleman said, according to Stapleton. “That takes brutal honesty and some tough decisions.”

Gettleman also said the team would “do what’s in the best interest of the New York Giants.”

Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Steve Politi of the Star-Ledger tweeted he was surprised at Gettleman’s “repeated refusal to commit to Eli Manning for 2019.”

The Giants might consider whatever is in their “best interest,” but they don’t have a lot of options.

Could the Giants move on from Eli Manning?

Let’s say Gettleman was hinting at cutting or trading Manning. The Giants could cut Manning and save $17 million on the cap, according to OverTheCap.com.

Then this question remains: Who would be the Giants’ quarterback in 2019?

Those who howled about the Giants drafting running back Saquon Barkley over quarterback Sam Darnold did so because it’s hard to find a quarterback. That’s especially true in 2019. The draft class isn’t that strong, after Justin Herbert decided to go back to Oregon. If the Giants really like Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins or Duke’s Daniel Jones, they might have to pay to get one of them. The Giants have the sixth pick. Maybe the quarterback they covet will still be available at No. 6, but it’s also possible a quarterback-needy team trades up ahead of them. Even if one falls to the Giants, neither is a can’t-miss prospect.

This is also a team that wasn’t in love with Darnold or any other quarterback taken behind him last year. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Darnold was widely considered a better prospect than Haskins or Jones. And the Giants might have to trade valuable assets to get one of them, if that’s their preferred route.

There won’t be many great QB options for Giants

Manning turns 38 years old on Thursday. He has had three mediocre at best seasons in a row, and even if you want to make excuses for him, it’s unlikely he turns it around in a meaningful way at age 38. That’s why the Giants would consider a “tough decision.”

But if the Giants don’t find a perfect prospect in the draft — remember, Darnold wasn’t good enough for Gettleman — then they’ll either turn to 2018 rookie Kyle Lauletta (0-for-5 as a rookie with no meaningful playing time because the Giants are scarred from Ben McAdoo benching Manning in 2017) or a stop-gap free agent.

There’s a reason Kirk Cousins was such a big story last offseason. Through history, almost every free-agent quarterback is either old or seriously flawed. Would someone like Joe Flacco, if he’s let loose by the Ravens as expected, really turn things around for the Giants? Are the Giants willing to pay a ton for Teddy Bridgewater, whose only legitimate action since a 2016 knee injury was uninspiring? Even if the Giants love Bridgewater, they won’t be the only team after him.

There aren’t many good options, because there usually aren’t when it comes to quarterback. That’s why it was weird for the Giants to pass on a quarterback in the first round last year, even if Barkley was fantastic as a rookie.

Even if Gettleman is considering what’s in the best interests of the Giants, and how that relates to a 38-year-old Manning, he might look around and realize there aren’t a ton of great alternatives.

More from Yahoo Sports:
• Sugar Bowl meeting of mascots goes sour
• Chippy 76ers-Clippers game results in ejections
• Why is female NBA assistant only making $10K?
• Purdue superfan Tyler Trent dies of cancer at age 20

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
Follow @YahooSchwab

Subscribe to The Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast
Apple Podcasts• Stitcher • Google Podcasts