With Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes going down with a dislocated patella (knee cap) on Thursday night, the potential for trade has opened up, and New York Giants veteran passer Eli Manning could be included.
Can the New York Giants even trade Eli Manning?
Let me start by saying; there’s about a 1% chance Manning gets traded, considering his no-trade clause and desire to stay in New York for the remainder of his career. Uprooting his family to move to a city in the mid-west makes little sense, especially when his kids are in school and established.
However, Manning heading to the Chiefs for the remainder of the season doesn’t sound all too unrealistic. There are a few significant road-blocks in a potential deal, aside from his no-trade clause. His cap-hit, being $11.5 million at this point, would have to be split with the Chiefs, so they would take on a huge hit to sign a quarterback that might not even be as good as Matt Moore, their current backup.
Manning’s 2019 salary is $11.5 million, and the Chiefs would have to pay the prorated amount of that, depending on when they traded for him. Since there are 10 weeks left in the regular season after this week, the Chiefs would owe Manning 58.8 percent of his salary (10/17th) — or $6.76 million.
And they’d have to give up something for him, obviously. Likely a mid-round draft pick. The Giants, meanwhile, might as well consider getting something for Manning, who is done with the organization after this season anyway.
Manning, for all his flaws, would be a clear upgrade from the Chiefs’ current No. 2 quarterback, Matt Moore.
However, if the Chiefs did express interest in Manning, what would be his incentive to make a move? For the Giants, they would love to send Eli off in the best way possible, but if he’s keen on continuing to play, taking his talents to a contending team could be well worth the move. The Giants have already moved on to Daniel Jones, but that’s no indication of disrespect, as they have stuck by Manning through far worse situations.
The reality is, Big Blue has been good to Manning, despite providing him with terrible talent over the last few seasons. He has won two glorious Super Bowls and lifted the franchise in the face of adversity. He’s a staple for every Giants fan over the age of 20, and keeping him as a symbol of their past success is necessary. So, while the idea of trading Manning and dumping his massive contract on to Kansas City might sound appealing, his deal ends after 2019 regardless, and this will likely be his final season in Blue.