New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman makes it known that he’s not in love with the “Eli Manning is overpaid” rhetoric.
One of the things that many New York Giants fans are livid about so far this offseason is how much QB Eli Manning will be paid in 2019.
The long-time Giants quarterback is set to make a $17 million base salary in the final year of his deal. Manning will have a salary cap number of $23.2 million. The Giants also owe Manning a $5 million roster bonus today Monday, March 18.
With the amount that Eli is being paid, many fans and writers felt that the contract should be restructured in order to help pay safety Landon Collins a long-term deal. However, The Giants didn’t restructure Manning’s contract, nor did they release him.
Therefore, the Giants didn’t have enough cap space to comfortably pay Collins or at least franchise tag him. Manning being “overpaid” has become a prevalent narrative.
Giants GM Dave Gettleman isn’t here for that very rhetoric.
“Again,” Gettleman told reporters on Monday, “this narrative that Eli’s overpaid and can’t play is a crock. I’m telling you.”
The Giants GM basically wanted to put other quarterbacks in perspective when considering the decisions surrounding Eli.
“At the end of the day, you’re gonna say, ‘Gettleman’s out of his mind’ or ‘He knows what he’s talking about when he evaluates players.’ That’s really where it’s at,” Gettleman said. “And I’m OK if you disagree with me, that’s fine. What I’m telling you is, if you turn around and take a look at what he’s making right now and look around the league and see what quarterbacks are making, if you were in my shoes, you would say, the way he finished the season and what he’s making, it really wasn’t a decision to make.
Manning comes into the season without his star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was traded to the Cleveland Browns last Tuesday. In what will most likely be his final year with the Giants, Manning may have a mentor role as well.
If the Giants choose a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft, they’ll probably have him sit for a year behind Manning. Manning could then help develop the rookie quarterback and then give him the starting spot once 2020 rolls around.
