Without doing a thing, Eli Manning just picked up a cool $5 million from the New York Giants over the weekend.
After a disastrous 2017 season, Eli Manning has five million reasons to be happy that he’s still with the New York Giants. Manning received a $5 million bonus for being on the roster on Sunday.
Eli Manning earns another $5 million today with a roster bonus #Giants https://t.co/1i0wKdBTNF
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) March 18, 2018
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the bonus was guaranteed as long as Manning was still on the roster on Sunday. The bonus will be paid on Wednesday, per the terms of the quarterback’s current contract.
The Giants would have had to take Manning off of the roster by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to avoid paying the bonus. We knew that wasn’t going to happen, of course, since head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Dave Gettleman backed Eli as the team’s starter in 2018 shortly after being hired.
Manning wasn’t the only player in the NFL to get a sizable roster bonus on Sunday, per ESPN’s Field Yates. Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith ($8 million), Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck ($6 million), and Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari ($6 million) also got hefty checks.
Other notable roster bonuses due today: Jaguars LB Telvin Smith ($8M), Colts QB Andrew Luck ($6M), Packers OT David Bakhtiari ($6M) and Giants QB Eli Manning ($5M). https://t.co/pvoz7Knshd
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 18, 2018
Manning is heading into his 15th season with the Giants. He has two years left on his contract and will make $16 million in the 2018 season. He will count for $22.2 million against the salary cap unless his contract is changed.
Eli has struggled the last two seasons due in part to a subpar offensive line. Last year he threw for 3,468 yards, with 19 touchdowns—second-fewest since his rookie year—and 13 interceptions. His yards, touchdown passes, and quarterback rating (80.4), have all gone down the last two seasons.
While he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning, it remains unclear whether the Giants will look to draft his eventual successor in next month’s NFL Draft or if they believe Davis Webb, last year’s third-round pick, is their QB of the future.
