J-Speaks: New York Football Giants Bench Eli Manning

A little over 13 years ago, the New York Football Giants acquired the No. 1 overall pick in that 2004 draft in quarterback Eli Manning out of Ole Miss from the then San Diego Chargers, now Los Angeles Chargers for a package of draft picks, and the No. 4 overall pick in signal caller Philip Rivers, out of North Carolina State. After his first start on Nov. 21, 2004 versus the Atlanta Falcons, the younger brother of future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, would go on, including the playoffs to start 222 straight games for the “G-Men,” which is second only to Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre’s 321 consecutive starts. Amid one of the most difficult seasons in team history, where it seems like no right decision has been made, the organization made a difficult, and what would end up being an unpopular decision regarding the guy, who led them to two Super Bowl wins in a four-year span. 

On Tuesday, Manning perhaps the greatest signal caller in Giants’ history was told by the team brass from head coach Ben McAdoo, that he would be benched for this Sunday’s game at the Oakland Raiders, that will bring a conclusion to his previously mentioned 210 consecutive starts as the team’s quarterback.

“It’s hard,” the 36-year-old Manning said with noticeable tears, and hard emotions. “A hard day to handle this. But I’ll hang in there. And figure it out.” 

Starting in Manning’s place will be former New York Jet Second-Round, No. 39 overall in 2013 pick Geno Smith, who spent four tough seasons with “Gang Green,” and Coach McAdoo said that at some point in the team’s final five games they will put in Davis Webb, who the Giants selected in the Third-Round, No. 87 back in April overall.  

McAdoo, whose own future is in limbo said that the season is lost, and that it is time to start the evaluation of the entire team, along with Manning’s understudies. 

“We have five games left to play. We have three quarterbacks on the roster. We have two yet to see in significant game action. And for us, we want to take a look at both of those players,” he said on Tuesday. 

McAdoo did however give Manning the option to start when the two talked on Monday, with Smith playing the second half of the game at the Raiders. After sleeping on the option, Manning said to his head coach that respectfully passed on the offer. 

“It’s not fair. It’s not fair to me. It’s not fair to Geno. That’s not how you play,” Manning, who looked visibly saddened by the move said to reporters at his locker on Tuesday. “You play to win. When you’re named the starting quarterback, it’s your job to go out there, and win the football game. 

When ask as to whether that this was the start of the end for Manning with the Giants, McAdoo’s answer was, “No.” 

He also added, “I have a lot of confidence in Eli as a player, as a quarterback. I’m not saying were moving on. But at some point, in time, you have to make hard, tough decisions for the best of the franchise.” 

“But at this point, it’s my responsibility for the organization to make sure we take a look at Geno, and at some point, take a look at Davis, and give them the opportunity to show what they can do heading into next year.”

For many Giants fans though, they are shaking their heads for Manning being the sacrificial lamb for the Giants poor season, where they lost all their wideouts in Sterling Shepard, Odell Beckham, Jr., and Brandon Marshall to injury. How the offensive line has been a mess this season where even running the football has been a struggle. On top of that, the defense, which on paper had the makings of being championship caliber, has performed not even close to that praise. 

One fan said to WNYW FOX 5 reporter Robert Moses that the decision was simply “stupid.” 

“You’re the classiest franchise in sports. You do it in the least classiest way possible,” was what another fan said. 

Another fan asked, “Why would you start Geno? A bump, over a Hall of Fame quarterback?” 

That is one question that WFAN’s Sports Radio 66AM, 101.9 FM in New York Mike Francesa answered with as much emotion, and fire as you will ever hear. 

“Your playing guys that drop every ball in sight! You haven’t discipline a player all year! And now you’re going to blame this on your quarterback, at 2-9! What a gutless move!” 

Several Giant greats, including some of Manning former teammates on those two winning title teams did not hold back their words either on social media. 

For Giants’ defensive lineman Justin Tuck on twitter, @JustinTuck said, “I’m honestly at a lost for words. As a person that has seen Eli the QB but also Eli the Man, I’m truly pissed about what has taking place today. This decision is one of the STUPIDEST I’ve seen in my time being asap with pro sports #noloyalty #14years.” 

Former Giants’ defensive end Osi Umenyiora, @OsiUmenyiora said, “Eli deserves much better than that. Much better. Class person, class player. That’s absurd.” 

Former Giants’ wideout Plaxico Burress, who caught the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl XLII, @plaxicoburress said, “Damn! Bench Eli? Man showed up every week for 14 years.”

One person who wishes this situation was handled better, and had a chance to see that it did was Giants’ Co-Owner John Mara. 

He was the one, according to the New York Post that wanted to see the plan of Manning to start Sunday’s contest at the Raiders, but Smith finish the game. It was a consensus decision that was reached by Mara, General Manager Jerry Reese, and Coach McAdoo, but all three were stunned when Manning show his displeasure about that scenario. 

“After talking with him today, I understand why it wasn’t [a good plan],” Mara said on Wednesday. “He’s a competitor, and he wants to be out there playing, he wants to be out there trying to win, and that’s why he’s been so successful for so many years.”

Even with the writing on the wall that it might be time for the Giants to move on from Manning, it will not be so easy. 

While the team will be finished paying the $36 million guaranteed on Manning’s deal after this season, and none of the $22 million that remains of that salary is guaranteed, the Giants will be docked $12.4 million in so-called “dead money,” against their 2018 salary cap, and $6,200 in 2019 if they decide to cut Manning prior to the conclusion of his deal. 

Even with those manageable numbers though, the final two years of Manning’s deal each carry a $5 million roster bonus, which is due on the fifth day of the 2018 league year, that begins in March, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 

Also, the market for Manning’s services is not at its highest peak because the other 31 teams know that the Giants at least on the surface want to move on. Three teams that would be interested knocking on Manning’s door to peak his interest are the American Football Conference South Division’s Jacksonville Jaguars, who are in the hunt for a playoff berth this season; the Denver Broncos, who just two years ago were Super Bowl champions; and the Arizona Cardinals. 

Former Giants head coach, and current Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Jaguars Tom Coughlin, who was very close with Manning in their time together with the “G-Men” starting back in 2004 said of Manning being bench on 1010 AM on Tuesday, “My sentiments are totally with Eli Manning.”

Coughlin, 71, who resigned as head coach of the Giants in 2016 after 12 years also added, “He is the finest, most humblest young man in that locker room. I haven’t followed the Giants. I know it’s a disappointing year, but my thoughts are strictly with Eli. I’m very upset about when I heard that.” 

With Manning’s time with the Giants in flux, and the up-and-down play of the Jaguars (7-4) signal caller Blake Bortles, the possibility of a Coughlin-Manning reunion next very likely. Bortles, the No. 3 overall pick has thrown just 12 touchdowns, and has committed 13 turnovers, eight of them via interceptions, with the other five miscues by lost fumbles.  

No matter how this plays out though, the Giants, and Manning are in a position that no one saw coming. On paper, this team had a look of a Super Bowl contender, and injuries, terrible offensive line play, as well as the inability for the defense to gain any traction, and the fact that McAdoo has lost essentially the respect of the team, and now is replacing their two-time Super Bowl winning signal caller with his backup, who was a bust for the Jets. 

What makes this even harder for the Giants, and their fans is they might be cutting ties with the signal caller who led them to victories over the New England Patriots, led by future Hall of Famers Tom Brady, and head coach Bill Belichick in Super Bowl XLII, which halted a perfect 19-0 season, and XLVI, winning game MVP both times. Who, along with Brady (4), Hall of Famers Joe Montana (3), Bart Starr (2), and FOX NFL Sunday analyst Terry Bradshaw (2) are the only players with multiple Super Bowl MVPs. The seventh most career passing yards with 50,625, and is tied ironically enough with Rivers today with 334 career touchdown passes. Has an 8-4 record in his postseason career, with a 18-9 touchdown-interception ratio. On top of that, Manning is the Giants’ all-time leader in touchdown passes (334); completed passes (4,319); most game-winning drives in a season with eight coming in 2011; most road wins in a single regular season, and postseason by a starting quarterback with 10; most passing yards in a single postseason with 1,219 in 2011; and is the only QB in NFL history to not throw one interception in multiple conference championship. 

While he did not win a single playoff game in 12 of those 14 seasons, and has made the playoffs just six times in those 14 seasons, he has been the one constant in New York since that first start 13 years ago. 

To bring this into clearer context, the Jets have had 13 different starting QBs, with the Giants starter for this Sunday at the Raiders in Smith being one of them. The Browns have had 24 different starting signal callers. Six New York Yankee numbers have been retired. The New York Knicks have had nine different head coaches. The state of New Jersey has had five governors, and NBC’s “The Apprentice,” concluded after 15 seasons, and the star of that show, Mr. Donald J. Trump is now the President of the United States.

As one fan put it though to Moses, “When you have an aging superstar, there’s no easy way to ease him out of the team.” 

Every team in pro sports, particularly those that have won a championship, or multiple championships eventually reach a point where a change of direction of the team will take place. The hope is that you have a front office where those changes can be implemented smoothly, and you have a coaching staff in place that can make that vision come to fruition. 

For the Giants, their future is in limbo with the possibility of them saying goodbye Manning, and they might axe Coach McAdoo, and GM Reese. 

No matter what takes place, one thing has been made very clear, the Giants tarnished their reputation with how they benched one of the greatest players in franchise history, and that said player in quarterback Eli Manning showed the kind of grace, poise, and fighting spirit, that has garnered the kind of respect that his former teammates, and head coach, and fans that will endear him to the state of New York forever. 

As another former Giants QB, who led them to Super Bowl glory, CBS NFL analyst, and host of Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” Phil Simms tweeted, @PhilSimmsQB, “#EliManning can stand tall and proud and will for the rest of his life for all he has been to @Giants-Fans will never forget him #GiantsPride.”

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 11/29/17 4:30 a.m. edition of WNYW FOX 5’s “Good Day Wake Up,” with Kerry Drew, and Jennifer Lahmers, report from Robert Moses; 11/29/17 4:30 a.m. edition of WABC 7 “Eyewitness News This Morning,” with Ken Rosato, and Shirleen Allicot, Heather O’Rourke with Traffic, and Bill Evans with Accuweather Forecast, report from Derick Waller; 11/29/17 New York Daily News article “A Giant Disgrace,” by Pat Leonard, “Sad Ending For True Blue QB,” by columnist Gary Myers, and “Coughlin Riled Up By Benching,” by Ari Gilberg; 11/30/17 New York Post  article, “Black and Blue,” by Steve Serby; http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_consecutive_starts_by_a_National_Football_League_quarterback, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geno_Smith and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Manning.