New York Giants co-owner John Mara isn’t ruling out the possibility of Eli Manning remaining with the organization in some way.
Sadly, it seems New York Giants fans may have seen the last of Eli Manning. The longtime veteran quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP’s contract is up and the Giants are focused on the future with Daniel Jones. Not to mention, Manning noted that he wouldn’t want to serve as a backup next year. It’s a role he was in for 12 games this past season with Jones under center.
That’s not to say Manning won’t be in the league next year. If he decides to return, there’s a chance he could take his talents to another team. But then again, Eli eventually choosing to remain with the Giants in either an on-field or off-field role isn’t something co-owner John Mara is shutting down.
“I haven’t closed any doors on [Manning returning as a quarterback],” Mara said on Moose and Maggie on WFAN. “Eli came to see me a few days ago, and we had a nice, long talk, but I don’t think he’s fully decided yet what he wants to do. And I’ve told him just take his time, think about it some more and then come back and see me again.
“Obviously, he’s been the best representative of this franchise, maybe that we’ve ever had — I mean, both what he’s done on the field, the way he conducts himself off the field, the professionalism that he shows. You can’t ask for a better representative than Eli Manning. So he’s going to take his time, and we’ll hopefully have another discussion at some point in the future.”
If Eli wished to return and back up Jones, newly-hired head coach Joe Judge would have to approve of it. General manager Dave Gettleman could additionally have a say in that situation.
The aforementioned keywords are “may have seen the last of Eli Manning.” If you’re a smart NFL fan, you know not to rule anything out.