NFL teams are reportedly trying to bring legendary New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning out of retirement.
Could Eli Manning be staying in the league after all?
According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, there are NFL teams that have apparently tried to bring the longtime New York Giants quarterback out of retirement. Manning recently called it quits in January after 16 years, four Pro Bowls, and a pair of Super Bowl MVPs.
Freeman also states that there’s a slim chance Manning would sign with someone other than the Giants.
Which team could use 1️⃣0️⃣ the most? pic.twitter.com/W4SOSLskwv
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 7, 2020
Manning played in just four games this past season, all of which he started. He took part in the first two games against the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, respectively. After the team started 0-2, the organization decided to bench Manning in favor of rookie Daniel Jones, who is the hopeful quarterback of the future.
Eli then started the Week 14 loss to the Eagles and Week 15 win over the Dolphins after Jones suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 13. Overall, he threw for 1,042 yards, six touchdowns, and five picks on a 61.9% completion rate. Manning went 1-3 in the games he started, putting his career record at 117-17.
The last few seasons didn’t do his legacy much justice. Since the start of the 2017 campaign, Eli is 9-26 as a starter. This includes season records of 3-12 (2017) and 5-11 (2018).
You could argue that the losing ways weren’t his fault though. He’s not mobile whatsoever, thus leading to the fact that you need an overachieving offensive line to succeed with him. The Giants simply haven’t possessed that the last few years.
In 2018, New York’s offensive line allowed 47 sacks after letting up 34 sacks the year prior.
The defensive side of the ball hasn’t been great for the Giants either, which has also contributed to the losing ways. They’ve finished in the bottom third of the league in both points allowed per game and yards allowed per game in each of the last three seasons.
Nonetheless, the quarterback position stands as the most important position maybe in all of sports. The critics will always point the finger at the quarterback, hence why Manning has taken much of the heat.
So maybe Eli will want to rewrite his career’s end. Maybe he’ll want to fix his legacy and prove he’s deserving of that eventual induction into the Hall of Fame. It’s tough to think that he’d actually go through with something like that, but this is the NFL. Needless to say, anything can happen.
