Is New York Giants QB Eli Manning preparing for the end?
There’s no question that New York Giants veteran quarterback Eli Manning’s days are numbered, in fact, they’re dwindling down to the final seconds.
After 15 years of virtually no competition, the two-time Super Bowl-winning passer is now feeling the heat, as rookie Daniel Jones has shown impressive development and understanding for the game at this point in the offseason. While he’s yet to step on an NFL field and perform at a quality level, he’s only several weeks away from doing so.
Manning knows he’s going to have to perform at a higher level than year’s past to stay put in the starting position, but at this point, he has little to worry about. It would take a catastrophic bust of a year for Jones to take over as the starting quarterback.
However, the way Manning has been speaking has been indicative of what’s naturally to come…his succession.
Statements like, “it’s all about this year,” and “When you’re younger you’re working hard on the mental aspect of things… scheme, coverage, picking up blitzes, etc… Now, it’s the maintenance, stretching, keeping the body fresh. The hard work never changes, it just changes which area in which you’re working hard,” both attest to his decline.
“I feel blessed, feel fortunate to still be doing this and playing football and coming to training camp."
Eli Manning talks heading into Year 16
— New York Giants (@Giants) July 24, 2019
There’s nothing to worry about at this point for Manning in the offseason, as 15 years of NFL experience will trump a few solid passes in training camp every day of the week. But you can clearly tell he’s preparing for the reality of being released after his contract expires at the end of 2019.
The goal is to make the playoffs in the meantime and go out with a bang, the right way. The team is coming together nicely with a solid grouping of youth on both sides of the ball, and sophomore running back Saquon Barkley will be there to mask Eli’s deficiencies once more. For the first time in a decade and a half, Eli will feel the pressures of being replaced, and hopefully, it can bring out the best in the Giant’s trusty stead.