Of course Eli Manning is back.
That’s the kind of season it’s been for the New York Giants. And now, with rookie QB Daniel Jones suffering what head coach Pat Shurmur deemed a “moderate high ankle sprain,” Manning — who was rightfully benched after too much checking down and some questionable arm strength, along with the fact that the Giants had spent a 2019 first-round pick on his replacement — will likely start, perhaps for the rest of the year.
It’s the footnote on a disaster of a year for Big Blue. After some magic from Jones in his first couple of starts (and Manning was all class throughout), there was Saquon Barkley returning from an ankle injury and not looking the same. There was the Jets fleecing the Giants with the Leonard Williams trade. The black cat invasion that made for a good punchline. And we haven’t even mentioned a defense that gives up big play after big play with a struggling secondary. There are calls for Pat Shurmur to be fired (and speculation about whether Dave Gettelman will hire his old Panthers pal Ron Rivera).
I figured Manning would play a series or two against the Eagles in the fourth quarter of their Week 17 matchup at MetLife Stadium, and that would be his presumed farewell that would end with the standing ovation he absolutely deserves. The storybook ending for a storied career, even if it didn’t land him in Canton.
But now — presuming the Giants do the smart thing and shut Jones down for the season — there will be Eli Face memes and jokes and “OMG did you see that dying duck throw that he tossed for an interception” tweets. It’s not the best way for Manning to finish his Giants career, but that’s likely what will happen in his quest to finish his career over .500:
Eli Manning's career record as a starter: 116-116.
We needed this.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 4, 2019
There is a what if, one that would have the NFL world going nuts if he exploded in what could be his final games in the only uniform he’s worn in the league. What if he torches the very suspect Eagles secondary twice, takes it to the Redskins and throws for 350 yards against the Dolphins, who have a bottom-10 passing defense?
Would Tom Coughlin figure out a way to get rid of Nick Foles’ gargantuan contract to hand the backup QB keys to Manning? Would another team looking for a stopgap quarterback sign him in the hopes he could make some starts while a rookie waits in the wings?
Doubtful. Given the way things were going for the franchise and for Manning, it doesn’t seem likely he’ll find his inner 2012 Eli and flourish.
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