Eli Manning had a phenomenal 16-year career with the New York Giants, leading the team to two unforgettable Super Bowl wins over Tom Brady. With over 57,000 passing yards, 366 touchdowns, and 236 games played, his numbers proved he was one of the greats for the franchise.
But even for a franchise icon, the clock eventually runs out. What happened in those final days? Let’s just say it hits harder than most expect.
The End of Eli Manning’s Era
Toward the end of Eli Manning’s time with the Giants, the team faced some of its roughest seasons in recent memory. The 2017 season opened with five straight losses, and though they managed a brief win over the Broncos, the momentum didn’t last.
The following weeks brought more losses, with the team finishing the year in disappointment. Things didn’t improve much in 2018, as the Giants opened that season with defeats to both the Jaguars and the Cowboys, signaling deeper struggles within the franchise.
By 2019, change was clearly in the air. The Giants used their first-round draft pick on Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, an unmistakable sign that a new era was approaching.
Eli, the face of the franchise for over 15 years, began the season as the starter but dropped the first two games. On September 17, 2019, the team officially handed the reins to Jones.
While Manning would return briefly due to injury later that season, it was clear to fans and analysts alike: the Eli Manning era in New York was coming to a close.
Eli Opens Up About the Pain of Being Benched
After starting just two games in the 2019 season, Eli Manning was told he would no longer be the Giants’ starting quarterback. For someone who had poured everything into the game for over 15 years, the moment hit hard.
“It was tough,” he recently admitted on the Glue Guys Podcast. The sudden shift left him in limbo, unsure of what came next, unsure if this was truly the end of the road.
“It was tough, just like the end, the end coming. And you don’t know if it’s, you know, the end of your career,” Eli reflected. The fear of finality, of no more locker rooms or huddles, began to creep in. He described the emotions as overwhelming: “It’s a lot of tears… no, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts a lot.”
Still, Manning made it clear he didn’t want bitterness to define his final days with the Giants. He committed to supporting the team and helping Daniel Jones. Today, retired and more at ease, Eli embraces his true self without the weight of expectations.
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