Giants Country

Retired Giants QB Eli Manning: Playing Quarterback in NFL Isn’t Easy

Eli Manning opened up about the challenges facing the next New York Giants quarterback.

Patricia Traina

Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Giants former quarterback Eli Manning sits courtside during the fourth quarter between the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden.
Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Giants former quarterback Eli Manning sits courtside during the fourth quarter between the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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For most of the 16 years of Eli Manning’s NFL career, the quarterback position was one the New York Giants never had to worry about.

However, these days, that is far from the Giants' reality. After failing to make a go with it with Daniel Jones, handpicked by the Dave Gettleman regime to succeed Manning, owner of many of the franchise’s passing records and a two-time Super Bowl winner and MVP, the Giants now find themselves under pressure to find a worth successor to Manning’s crown who can one day challenge his place in the team’s record book.

It will not be easy, especially this year, in a quarterback class that is not exactly overflowing with options as the 2024 class was.

“It's not an easy situation,” Manning said during an appearance in Manhattan on behalf of the Guiding Eyes for the Blind to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Ten, a seeing eye dog named in honor of Manning’s since retired jersey number with the Giants. 

“A lot of pressure and expectations being in New York, or being around the NFL, is they expect immediate results, which is not easy to do in any market playing the quarterback position. 

“So it'll be interesting what route they take and who they get to play quarterback next year for the Giants. I know they'll put in great work, consider all the options, and hopefully get someone to make a difference.”

Finding the right player, though, isn’t something that happens overnight. For the last two years at least, Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have been working hard on quarterbacks. 

Last year, they identified Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels as two prospects who would fit into what they’re building.

B. However, because they fell to sixth in the draft order and were unable to trade up to get either signal caller, they decided to skip dipping into the historically deep quarterbacks class of 2024.

This year, the challenge has been magnified. After being unable to make it work with Jones, whom they cut midseason, the Giants’ brass now faces a watered-down quarterback class with fewer options and, at least per developing scouting reports by draft analysts, fewer sure-fire hits. 

But Manning says that a guy doesn't necessarily have to be flashy or a prospective first-round pick so long as he shows certain intangibles.  

“You gotta watch the film. You got to watch their decision-making,” he said. “You have to watch if the concepts that they're running, how familiar they are with them,” he said. 

“It's about coming out on time or their eyes in the right place. Those are all the things that the scouts and everybody are looking at. 

“How quickly can they come in and learn this offense and the NFL schemes as a young quarterback? The difference now is you're not sitting there saying, ‘Hey, this guy is going to be the best quarterback in five years.’ You want to go, but who's going to develop quickly and be effective in the first two years?” 

Manning said he doesn’t get too involved in giving feedback to Schoen and Daboll about the quarterbacks, though occasionally, the conversation might come up if the prospects the team is considering might have been participants in the annual Manning Passing Academy. 

But if Schoen and Daboll want Manning's input on the quarterbacks, he's happy to oblige.  

“I like watching film,” Manning said. “I'm happy to look at film and get involved in that part of it. I like Jackson Dart. I've probably watched him more than anybody; I've just been watching Ole Miss games. I've been around him–a great kid. He’s been in the same offense for three years and has been successful. You've seen him throw and progress, and he seems to be able to make all the throws.” 

But as far as maybe coming on board as a coach to ensure that whoever the Giants do select–assuming they pick a quarterback in this year’s class–is coached up properly, Manning, who said he has been enjoying coaching his children’s sporting activities, would rather leave that to Daboll and his assistant coaches.

“Coach Daboll’s had had success in the past, having had great quarterbacks, having successful offenses, and so I think just hopefully, with their system, they'll, they'll get a guy who can pick it up quickly and put them in the right situation, make plays,” he said. 

Additional reporting by Victoria Jonach.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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