Should Eli Manning Remain On The New York Giants In 2019?

iDec 16, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws against the Tennessee Titans in the 3rd quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Reports emerged on Sunday afternoon that the New York Giants are planning on retaining veteran quarterback Eli Manning for the 2019 season. Some might be happy with the retention but most are questioning the reasoning behind it.

Manning finished week 15 with 229 yards passing on 44 passing attempts. He only completed 21 attempts, while also throwing an ugly interception that was a clear indication of a poor read, or mental lapse. Manning finished with a QBR of 54.1, far less than he has averaged in the past five weeks.

Despite the lackluster performance, I blame the loss primarily on head coach Pat Shurmur. Manning had 44 passing attempts in monsoon weather, while Titans’ Marcus Mariota recorded just 20. Saquon Barkley had 14 total carries and Derrick Henry had 33. The fact that the Giants continued to focus on the pass game in less than fair weather is a complete and utter coaching mistake.

Shurmur stated after the game that the run game was stalling early in the contest which was the reason for the heavy pass-attack. This logic simply doesn’t make sense. Keep pounding the ball and playing close to the line of scrimmage until you can expose the opposing defensive line.

But, regardless of the coaching mishaps, Manning didn’t look appealing in any manner of the word. His throws lacked zip, his long-ball was floating, his reads were poor, and his ball-protection was just awful.

The New York Giants don’t have many choices at quarterback:

Next season comes with its complications. The Giants are either stuck with Manning or have to resort to other options like Teddy Bridgewater, Kyle Lauletta, Nick Foles, or a potential rookie.

The primary reason I would even consider bringing back the veteran signal caller is to act as a bridge to the next franchise quarterback. Whether it’s Dwayne Haskins or Justin Herbert, having Manning to unveil his wisdom is beneficial. My main concern is his $23 million cap hit. He will have to agree to a massive pay-cut to deserve another year in Blue otherwise he could be a cut-candidate.