It’s the first year in a very long time where Eli Manning won’t be the starting quarterback for the New York Giants. Manning finally retired following last season and has yet to decide on a future role, if any, in the sport of football. However, the former Giants quarterback has definitely left his mark, and his impact over the years has been shown again when ESPN listed Manning as the quarterback on their NFC East all-decade team for the 2010s.
QB:Â Eli Manning, Giants, 2004-19
RB:Â LeSean McCoy, Eagles, 2009-14
RB:Â Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys, 2016-present
WR:Â Odell Beckham Jr., Giants, 2014-18
WR:Â Dez Bryant, Cowboys, 2010-17
T:Â Tyron Smith, Cowboys, 2011-present
G:Â Brandon Brooks, Eagles, 2016-present
C:Â Travis Frederick, Cowboys, 2013-19
G:Â Zack Martin, Cowboys, 2014-present
T:Â Jason Peters, Eagles, 2009-19
TE:Â Jason Witten, Cowboys, 2003-17, 2019
When it comes to the offensive players, there’s two Giants that made the list – Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. Only one of those players, of course, spent his entire career with the Giants.
While there are competing names that have performed well at quarterback in the division during the 2010s, the decision to list Manning above the rest of them ultimately makes sense. Manning did win a Super Bowl during the decade, which is bigger than what Cowboys quarterbacks Tony Romo or Dak Prescott have achieved. And while Carson Wentz led the Eagles during their Super Bowl season for most of the year, it was Nick Foles that won the actual game.
As mentioned by the article, Manning is also the only player on the Giants to win a Super Bowl during the decade and continue playing until the end of it.
It’s for that reason, among others, that Manning’s retirement is so significant. The Giants finally moved on from their longtime starter, yes. But beyond that, the last holdout from the last championship run has been removed.
In Manning’s absence, it’s up to the current group of players led by Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones to make new history and bring the franchise back to the heights it formerly reached.