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New York Giants expect 2-3 more years from Eli Manning

By Brad Berreman

Dec 4, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports /
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Eli Manning has had a long run as quarterback of the New York Giants, but the team sees the light at the end of that tunnel.

Since taking over as the New York Giants starting quarterback during his 2004 rookie season, Eli Manning has not missed a start. That’s 199 straight regular season starts, and 211 straight starts counting playoff games.

That lengthy run has come with plenty of ups and downs, from two Super Bowl wins to three seasons leading the league in interceptions thrown. 2016 was a mixed bag, with over 4,000 passing yards for the sixth time in his career and the second-best completion rate of his career (63 percent) but also 16 interceptions and just 6.7 yards per pass attempt.

Giants’ general manager Jerry Reese has said Manning is on the “back nine” of his career, while adding the need to think about who the team’s next quarterback will be. Now, there’s more signs pointing to the Giants acknowledging Manning is near the end of his career.

During an appearance of PFT Live Monday morning, Bob Glauber of Newsday said the Giants believe Manning has 2-3 quality years left. At age-36 that’s not too shocking, but it also happens to line up with Manning having three years left on his contract.

Being Manning’s backup is as cushy a job as you can get in the NFL right now, so 2013 fourth-round pick Ryan Nassib made it through his rookie contract throwing just 10 regular season passes. The Giants signed Keith Wenning to a reserve/futures contract in early January, but he has never thrown a regular season pass over three seasons spent mostly on the practice squad.

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The Giants may turn toward April’s draft for a quarterback to succeed Manning, though how early they’d considering doing it is at best unclear. They could wait until the 2018 draft too, with a better quarterback class likely coming, under the assumption Manning indeed has a few more good seasons left in the tank.

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