Eli Manning may not have a future with the New York Giants beyond the 2017 season, and many have speculated that he would be a perfect fit for a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, that assumes the 36-year-old quarterback still wants to play football.
Manning’s father, Archie, told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that the Giants’ decision to bench Manning “flat broke (Eli’s) heart.” The elder Manning also left open the possibility that his son could retire.
“There’s no sense speculating,” Archie said. “If he’s still there, we don’t know what their future plans are, if other people are there. And you have no idea what other teams will think of a 37-year-old quarterback. You don’t have any idea.
“Eli might say, ‘I’ve had enough. I’m feeling good, I’ve got a beautiful wife, three little girls, I’m healthy. And that’s it.’ So there’s no sense speculating.”
From the way Archie makes it sound, playing for another team is something Eli has never even considered.
“Eli’s passion for the Giants goes deeper than most and I’ve mentioned it through the years,” Archie said. “Eli loves playing for the New York Giants. He just does. He just loves it, I think more than most. So therefore, it broke his heart.”
While Manning is certainly on the tail end of his career, there’s really no fair way to evaluate his performance this season. The Giants have dealt with a number of key injuries, including to wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard. Teams like the Jaguars or Denver Broncos that are a solid quarterback away from contending would almost certainly entertain the possibility of signing Manning.
If Manning does decide to retire, we already know one career opportunity that awaits him.
