Eli Manning isn't 'leaning one way or another' on whether he will play next season
As uncertain as the New York Giants are about their future with quarterback Eli Manning, the 38-year-old quarterback seems to be just as uncertain.
In an interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesa on Wednesday, Manning discussed what lies ahead for him and the in-depth talk he had with general manager Dave Gettleman on Monday.
After two straight losing seasons, the Giants may go in a different direction at quarterback, however limited their options may be. But even Manning doesn’t know if he has played in his last NFL game.
“We will see,” Manning said. “I don’t know if it’s leaning one way or the other right now. I think it’s kind of that time to just reflect and figure out what’s the best thing going forward.”
Giants face a tough decision
Manning has been the face of the Giants for the past 15 seasons, but he’s certainly not in his prime anymore. His arm strength isn’t what it used to be, and his limited mobility led to a career-worst 7.5 percent sack rate.
Still, it may not be easy to replace Manning. The 2019 quarterback draft class is thin after Oregon’s Justin Herbert announced he will return for his senior year, and this comes a year after the Giants passed on one of the deepest quarterback drafts in recent memory.
Manning has a $23.2 million salary-cap hit next season, although the Giants could save $17 million by cutting him. But it will be expensive to replace Manning through free agency, be it Teddy Bridgewater, Joe Flacco or anyone else.
It seems unlikely that Manning would retire given a chance to make over $20 million, but if the Giants cut him to save money, he may not have it in him to play much longer. Going 8-23 the past two seasons don’t make things easier.
“It does take a toll,” Manning said. “It’s tough losing football games. And you kind of search and try to figure out what you can do different or what you can do better. Each game, each season is different. That definitely takes a toll when you’re not winning games. It’s tough on your person, it’s tough on your family, it’s tough on teams.”
Does Manning have a future outside of New York?
It’s possible that Manning will find a new home next season. The Jacksonville Jaguars have been mentioned as a possibility, since they are clearly not enamored with Blake Bortles, and there’s a New York connection with executive vice president Tom Coughlin.
For now, Manning doesn’t want to talk about what a future would look like outside of New York, at least until that day comes.
“I think those are things you’ve just got to figure out once it presents itself. It’s hard to imagine that,” Manning said.
“You always want that and you always hope for that, and it always is until you’re not. That’s when you’ve got to truly think about what you want to do and how it’s going to go. Especially when you get older and know what it’s like to go into a new offense with new players and a new coach, and it’s not always that smooth transition that you hope it’s going to be.”
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