Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
What Happens if Eli Manning Wins a Few Games?
Giants head coach Pat Shurmur announced on Wednesday that with rookie quarterback Daniel Jones dealing with a high ankle sprain, Eli Manning is “very likely” to start on Monday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Manning will now have the opportunity to get a proper sendoff and also end his tenure as a Giant on a high note.
Jones got off to a hot start after being named the starting quarterback of the Giants before Week 3, but he has since lost eight consecutive starts.
After injuring his ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, Jones’ availability for the rest of the season is now uncertain. There’s a chance that Manning will end up starting more than one of the Giants’ final four games. If this is indeed the case, Manning could end up being a late-season spark for the Giants.
Manning will undoubtedly have plenty of motivation when he is under center for the Giants once again. With a career record of 116-116, the rest of the season will ultimately determine whether he finishes his Giants tenure above .500.
Manning could decide to play next season, but in all likelihood, he would be wearing a different uniform. This means that these next few games will also be opportunities for him to show other teams that he can still play.
The Giants do have to play the Eagles twice over their last four games, a team that is currently battling the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East title. However, they also will face Miami and Washington. Considering the state of those two teams, it would not be overly surprising if Manning leads the Giants to a couple of wins if he gets the start in the final four games.
That being said, what happens if Manning galvanizes the Giants and helps them win at least one of the games against the Eagles? If the Giants finished with a 4-12 record or better, would that be enough to save Shurmur’s job?
The answer to the second question is probably not. At this point, general manager Dave Gettleman has most likely started to look ahead to next season--assuming his future with the club isn’t in doubt.
But if Gettleman is on more solid footing, then it would be difficult to imagine the Giants staying with Shurmur given how the last two years have gone.
So let’s get back to the first question. Regardless of what happens with Manning under center, he’s probably not going to be able to save Shurmur from being fired, but he might be able to show other teams that he still has something left.
In Week 1, he threw for 306 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys. A week later, he threw for 250 yards and a touchdown but was picked off twice in the Giants’ loss to the Buffalo Bills. If Manning goes to a team with a solid offensive line next year, he should still be able to have some success.
It’s hard to predict where he could end up signing in 2020 (assuming he doesn’t retire), as the NFL draft picture is just now starting to take shape.
No matter what Manning decides to do after this season, at least he will now have the opportunity to get the sendoff he deserves. He’s the Giants’ all-time leader in completions (4,860), passing yards (56,537) and touchdown passes (362).
And if nothing else, for at least one last time, Giants fans will be able to watch the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback in blue.
