The Manning football dynasty has come to an end_for now.
The first family of the NFL witnessed the young son and little brother win his last game against Miami. With Manning set to hit free agency, the decision was cast. Eli will retire as a Giant for life, playing for the only team in his career.
The son of Archie and brother of Peyton, Manning has been part of the biggest football moments of the past decade. With four Pro Bowls, two Super Bowl championships and two Super Bowl MVPs, the man with no facial expression rides off into the sunset. He retires with 57,023 passing yards and 366 touchdowns, the most in Giant’s history.
“We are proud to have called Eli Manning our quarterback for so many years,” Giants Chairman and Executive Vice President Steve Tisch said. “Eli leaves a timeless legacy with two Super Bowl titles on the field and his philanthropic work off the field, which has inspired and impacted so many people. We are sincerely thankful for everything Eli has given our team and community. He will always be a Giant among Giants.”
A storied career
Only the Baltimore Ravens and Peyton Manning-led teams were able to stand toe-to- toe with the New England Patriots in the playoffs. In both games, Manning came through with miracle throws.
He beat one of the greatest football teams in history and became one of the clutch players in the postseason. Indeed, the first half of his career revealed the makings of a sure-fire, Hall of Fame winner.
Even so, Manning’s last several seasons never reached the heights of his Super Bowl runs. Big Blue only made the playoffs once since 2012. He was benched during the 2019 season in favor of rookie Daniel Jones.
Eli is one of the first QBs to retire before athletic running quarterbacks took over the league. Along with draft quarterback brethren Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, Manning’s class may provide three Hall of Fame quarterbacks. A dying breed is among us and the football world thanks Eli Manning for the memories.
