
One of the biggest questions hanging over the head of the New York Giants is how long quarterback Eli Manning will play. Manning is going into this season as the starter despite the team taking Daniel Jones in the draft, but even though Jones clearly isn’t ready to start as a rookie in a high pressure job such as this one, there’s plenty asking when will Jones start. It seems like the most likely time would be after Manning’s retirement, but when that retirement will happen is anyone’s guess.
Manning has, however, spoken about the subject recently with The Time-Picayune. “I’m not rushing into retirement, and Peyton’s not telling me to rush into it. I still love being around the guys and the teammates and playing this game. I’m going to play it for as long as I think I can hang with these guys,” Manning stated, expressing his intent to stay around for as long as possible.
He also talked a bit about the reasons why he’s still playing in the first place. “It’s such a great feeling in that locker room when you win games. You want everybody to experience that. You want those guys who haven’t won a championship to get that feeling also. That means so much to your family and everybody who has been a part of your football career, from your high school coaches to your college coaches.”
But the Giants weren’t a championship contender last year, or in recent years in general. The rebuild that’s still being worked on by the front office is intended to bring them back to that status, but it’s unknown if that jump will happen while Manning is still the team’s quarterback. However, they may just have more years of Manning in store, as the quarterback doesn’t intend to walk away if it’s not necessary.
“I’ve been blessed going into my 16th year. That’s been a blessing in itself. I love what I’m doing. I love the work that goes into it. You never know when it’s going to be your last year or when it’s going to be the end for you, so you try to take advantage of the years you’re here and enjoy every moment.”
Manning also praised the team’s offseason moves, stating them to be “aggressive” and specifically mentioning the addition of wide receiver Golden Tate, who has big expectations on his shoulders going into the 2019 season. Has the team been aggressive enough to help their quarterback win before retirement?
We’ll have to wait and see, but so far from this offseason, it looks like the Giants are definitely leaning towards sticking with Eli Manning for as long as they can rather than entering untested waters by moving on to rookie Daniel Jones.