If Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are really heading for a parting of ways, who will Bill Belichick & Co. sign to replace him? Or would they simply go with Jarrett Stidham?
We here at Giants Wire won’t even pretend to know the inner workings, dealing or leanings of the Patriots. We see them once ever four years and that’s about the extent of it.
However, those who are more intimately familiar with the organization have recently posed this very same question and came away with some interesting results.
WBZ-FM’s “Felger and Massarotti” discussed this at length on Thursday and the one man they settled on is not one you might expect: soon-to-be former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
“There is only one veteran name on there where I sorta stop and go, ‘I wouldn’t hate the idea of it,'” Michael Felger said. “There’s only one veteran name on that list where I would go, ‘I bet Bill [Belichick] could win with him’ . . . Eli.”
Without missing a beat, Tony Massarotti agreed.
“I think Eli’s got balls,” Massarotti said.
Are we in bizarro world right now? What is happening? Are Patriots fans and those who cover the Patriots really looking at Eli as a potential option to replace Brady? It almost seems hard to believe.
In a football world where most have doubted Eli for 16 years, the Patriots and their fans seem to have a different view of and respect for Manning. And perhaps rightfully so.
Manning, of course, has beaten Belichick, Brady and the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl and has played them tough during the regular season. In fact, Manning has been more a thorn in their side than any other NFL team during their dynasty run.
The 39-year-old Manning has all but ruled out a return to the Giants even though co-owner John Mara has left the door open, and while he hasn’t settled on his own future yet, does appear to be learning towards continuing his NFL career if he can land a job as a starter.
If the Patriots want to squeeze out one or two more Super Bowl runs and have to do so without Brady, Manning might actually make sense. Belichick could win with him, and it would be the justice Eli deserves in the end.
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