However, as a Giants fan, I have nothing but appreciation for what he's done for the franchise. Without Eli Manning, Bradicheck's already ridiculous number of rings would be eight, not six. Eli led the game-winning fourth-quarter drive in both of those Super Bowl upsets, and he was named the game's MVP each time. And it's because of those two victories that he'll be in the Hall of Fame conversation every year once he's eligible.
And it sure looks like that's going to be five years from now. Because, for all intents and purposes, the Eli Manning Era is over. The Giants announced today that rookie first-round pick Daniel Jones is going to start Sunday against the Bucs. And this isn't Ben McAdoo's "I'm trying to make a point and want to get fired" one-game Eli benching two seasons ago. The Giants envision Jones as their quarterback of the future. And that future starts Sunday.
So, after 15 years and 232 starts (210 of which were consecutive), Eli Manning is now a highly-paid backup quarterback. (Although, considering how many starters have been lost for a significant amount of time already this season, that might not be a bad thing.) It's something everyone, including Eli, knew was coming. I'm not sure anybody thought it would be this soon, though. (My guess was Week 12 after the bye.)
Eli's been in decline for the past few years. That's not exactly Earth-shattering news. Although, I can't really say he deserves ALL of the blame for the Giants' offensive struggles. It's not his fault they have no offensive line or wide receivers, and they didn't have a ground game until drafting Saquon last year. Still, with Manning entering the final year of his contract, it was time to start thinking about a successor, which is why they drafted Jones. And when Jones was impressive in preseason, most felt it was just a matter of time before he took over.
The timing is still a bit surprising, though. Yes, the Giants are 0-2, but they're by no means out of it. And I don't think a quarterback change is suddenly going to make them competitive. There are definitely some wins out there (they've still got Washington twice, as well as Miami and Arizona), but this isn't a playoff team with either Eli Manning OR Daniel Jones at quarterback.
In other words, when the quarterback change happened didn't make much of a difference. So the Giants decided that the time was now. Eli Manning is the past. Daniel Jones is the future. And he's being given 14 games to prove that he is indeed the long-term answer. After all, Eli was given the same chance midway through his rookie season, when he took over for Hall of Famer Kurt Warner in Week 11 and the rest was history.
Whether or not he ends up joining his brother with a bust in Canton, there's no doubting Eli Manning's place in Giants lore. He won two Super Bowls. He was named Super Bowl MVP twice. He started every game for 12+ years, the second-longest streak for a QB in NFL history. He's the franchise's all-time leader in every major passing category. And, despite how it's going to end, there was more good than bad during his 15 years as the starter.
He may retire after the season. Or he may sign a one-year deal with a team that needs a veteran mentor for its first-round pick. He may even stick around the league as a backup. I can even see a situation where one of the many teams that's seen it's starter go down asks the Giants about an Eli Manning trade at some point this season (he has a full no-trade clause, so he'd have to approve any deal).
Regardless, there will be an Eli Manning No. 10 jersey retirement ceremony on a Monday (or Thursday) night in the not-too-distant future. He'll also take his place in the Giants' Ring of Honor alongside such other legends as Lawrence Taylor, Sam Huff, Frank Gifford and Michael Strahan (oddly, Strahan and Huff's numbers aren't retired). And, considering how much he's meant to the franchise, he certainly deserves both.
His overall place on the list of the greatest players in the Giants' illustrious history is a debate for another day. And it should wait. Because too many people will focus on how it's ending instead of the many highs the franchise enjoyed with Eli Manning under center. Personally, I think No. 10 belongs in the top 10 no question (he might even be top five).
For Eli Manning, I bet he wishes the final chapter was being written differently. And who knows? It still might be. But the thought of Eli Manning in another jersey is as foreign as Joe Namath playing for the Rams or O.J. Simpson with the 49ers. So, in a way, I hope this is it. Whether or not Sunday was his last start, whether or not he has one last moment in the sun, I just can't picture him wearing somebody else's uniform.
Regardless, Eli Manning was responsible for some of the most memorable moments in Giants history. Everyone remembers David Tyree's helmet catch, which wouldn't have been possible if Eli hadn't scrambled through the entire Patriots defense avoiding the sack! OBJ's remarkable one-handed touchdown catch on Sunday night against Dallas during his rookie year? Who threw the ball?
Now in Daniel Jones' turn. Only time will tell if he authors as many signature moments and lasts as long as his predecessor. For 15 years, Eli Manning took Giants fans on quite a ride. As it turns out, his forcing that draft-day trade wasn't so bad after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment