END OF AN ELI?
Giants must once again ask themselves if Manning is their man as QB admits he doesn’t know if he’ll return next season
EAST RUTHERFORD >> There will be no Eli Manning farewell tour on Sunday, even though no one in the organization knows for certain if the Giants’ franchise quarterback will return for a 16th season.
Head Pat Shurmur said Wednesday he envisions Manning taking a victory formation against the Cowboys, and he dismissed the notion of creating a moment for the fans to acknowledge the two-time Super Bowl MVP in what will be possibly his final game at MetLife Stadium.
“Eli’s our starter, Eli gives us the best chance to win, and he’s going to play on Sunday,” Shurmur said. “That’s where we’re at. I think when the game is over and we start talking in depth about what’s going to happen moving forward, that’s when you worry about it.”
Manning echoed that mentality and only added to the speculation when asked if he expects to be the Giants’ starting quarterback in 2019.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I have not gotten into that or thought much about that. Just worried about doing my job and finishing this season.”
The Giants (5-10) believe they are building a positive carryover for Shurmur’s second season at the helm. Since their bye week after the eighth game, they have a plus-13 point differential and plus-seven turnover differential. They were minus-55 and minusfour in those categories while going 1-7 in the first eight games.
“We kept fighting, we kept looking for ways to improve and get better,” Manning said. “We’ve improved, we’ve become a better team, we’ve become a more efficient offense, and scoring points and kind of finding our style. We’ve dealt with ups and downs and losing some players.”
The team anticipates better continuity with personnel next year. The current 53-man roster features 38 players that are new to New York this season. The Giants have decisions to make on a few high-priced veterans, but more than half of the roster (28) consists of young players with three years of experience or fewer.
New York also brought in 10 new coaches on Shurmur’s 17man staff.
“Anything you do more than once, you improve, and so if you believe experience matters, that’s why everything carries over,” Shurmur said. “I think it’s all connected.”
The question is whether that equation will still include Manning, who turns 38 next week and will carry a hefty $23.2 million salary cap in 2019, the final year on his contract. The Giants can free up $17 million in cap space by releasing him.
That would afford the front office more financial flexibility to shore up other areas of the roster, but it would also mean identifying a successor to Manning.
The Giants still have not done so. They drafted Saquon Barkley instead of a quarterback at No. 2 in last April’s draft. Fourth-round rookie Kyle Lauletta sputtered in his limited action against the Redskins three weeks ago with 0-for-5 passing and an interception, so his future with the team is murky.
Next year’s quarterback draft class is universally considered weaker than the 2018 crop, and arguably its top prospect, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, announced Wednesday that he will return for his senior season. Veteran signal callers such as Teddy Bridgewater and Nick Foles are expected to become unrestricted free agents after the season — another route the Giants could go depending on price tags.
But as of now, signs point to Manning becoming the first player in Big Blue history to play 16 seasons with the franchise.
“He still has it in him, in my eyes. Smartest guy I ever played with and he’s still making all the throws,” wide receiver Sterling Shepard said. “You never know what you’re getting in the draft or whatever and he’s proven he can play in this league. He’s been in this league for a long time doing his thing, so I’d love for him to be my QB.”
Manning said he has not discussed restructuring his contract with the front office. Those considerations will be handled after the season.
When it was mentioned that Manning’s uncertainty is different from seasons past, he pointed out that he was unsure about his future last year, too, after head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese were fired.
“When you get to year 15,” Manning said, “these things come up.”
Injury Report
The Giants might be without two starters in the season finale because of injuries. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (quad) and linebacker Alec Ogletree (concussion) did not practice Wednesday.
“There’s a chance (that they play),” Shurmur said. “We’ll just have to see where they’re at. They’re both feeling better than they did last week. We’ll just have to see.”
Tight end Rhett Ellison (concussion), defensive lineman Mario Edwards (calf) and wide receiver Russell Shepard (ankle) also sat out. Linebacker B.J. Goodson (foot), center Spencer Pulley (calf) and wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hip) were limited.