Eli Manning is currently playing out the final season of his contract, and he would like that to change in the very near future. Like, before Week 1.
During an appearance on WFAN Tuesday morning, Manning said he does not want to negotiate a contract extension once the regular season begins.
“I’m not a big fan of contract negotiations during the season,” Manning said, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. “I’m hoping if this thing is gonna get done, it’s gonna get done quickly.”
While that may seem like an obvious thing to say, Manning has remained relatively quietly about his contract until now. He has said on several occasions that he is not concerned over it, but his comments on Tuesday seem to indicate otherwise. Some reports have claimed Manning wants to be the highest-paid player in the game, though he says that is untrue.
When Joe Flacco signed his extension two years ago, it was the richest deal in NFL history at the time. Flacco, while a few years younger than Manning, has won one Super Bowl. Manning has won two.
“Again, my focus is getting ready, playing at a high level,” Manning added. “Now it’s all about getting ready for (the season opener on Sunday in) Dallas.”
In order to focus on football and nothing else, Manning needs his contract to be taken care of. Despite the two championships, anyone with a pair of eyes can see that Manning is not a truly elite quarterback. Unfortunately for the Giants, there are plenty of quarterbacks in the same situation who have been paid handsomely.
