Eli Manning caused a stir before the season when he said he was in Tom Brady’s class of elite quarterbacks. We initially laughed when we saw the headline, but after listening to the interview we changed our mind. Eli was asked a question. What was he supposed to do, say he’s not elite? His answer was logical. And he’s not the only one who feels that he’s elite.
“He’s in my top five, I’ll guarantee you that,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin told Boomer & Carton on WFAN. “He’s proved it over and over again.”
Coughlin also pointed out to Boomer & Carton what we said about the question: “What do you expect him to say? Come on.”
Exactly. It’s often ignored that players aren’t talking trash or boasting when their comments become media headlines. They’re frequently responding to a question and being setup.
I still maintain that Eli Manning is not close to being a top five quarterback, but he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the league. From year-to-year, he’s a top 15 guy. That’s not elite, but it’s not bad.
