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Eli Manning Demands Don’t Match The History

By Erik Lambert

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Aug 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) looks on from the sidelines in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s just get this out of the way.  Eli Manning has two Super Bowl rings.  There.  It’s been said.  The 34-year old quarterback was the MVP of both those games and has three Pro Bowls in his career on top of it.  Here’s the thing.  Not even that is enough to justify being the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, which is apparently his demand of the New York Giants.

There are a few things to keep in mind with Manning.  He has not made the playoffs in three seasons and has lost more games each year since the Giants’ improbable run to the championship in 2011.  There were also three seasons in his career where he threw 20 or more interceptions in a season.  One of them, in 2013, he had more interceptions (27) than touchdowns (18).

  • Never thrown for more than 31 touchdowns
  • Never posted a quarterback rating higher than 93.1 for a season
  • Has a 59.0 career completion percentage
  • Fumbled 87 times in his career

Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback he’s looking earn more money than, has topped the 31 touchdown mark three times, never thrown more than 13 interceptions in any of his seasons as a starter, has gone to four Pro Bowls and posted just one losing season.  Oh, and all of his campaigns featured higher quarterback ratings than the best Manning has ever had.

So where in the world does he get the idea and the guts to justify his demands for more than $22 million a year?

This would explain why the New York Giants brass aren’t acting with more urgency to sign him.  For all the good Eli has brought the franchise since he was drafted, the fact is those two championship runs were spearheaded by power running and strong defense, mixed with timely clutch play by him.  Meanwhile guys like Rodgers and Tom Brady routinely carry their teams into the playoffs.

It’s just another sign of how overinflated the importance of the position has become, rather than singling out the players on an individual basis.  Manning could very well get his big pay day, but it will be on the Giants for any budget or salary cap problems that follow.

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