The Giants have been struggling for years and an aging Eli Manning hasn't done much to show he isn't in decline. Naturally, fans and insiders thought the organization would consider moving on from their longtime quarterback. Not quite.
According to SportsNet New York's Ralph Vacchiano, the Giants are strongly considering keeping Eli Manning behind center for the next two seasons.
"The key people in the organization don’t think he’s done, and they feel they saw a ton of positive signs in the second half last year," Vacchiano claimed. "Ideally, they’ll have his successor ready to go next season. But if not, barring a disaster of a season, they won’t hesitate to extend Manning’s contract by a year. They really do want him around to rub off on the next Giants franchise quarterback, if they can make it work."
The 2020 option would bring the then-40-year-old quarterback into his 16th season, but it would also require the Giants to extend Eli's contract since his current offer expires at the end of 2019.
Manning's wear and tear has been cited as one of the central factors behind Giants' offensive struggles. Yet, judging from the Beckham trade, it seems that the Giants are now building around players that have bought into their process. In fact, their rookie sensation Saquon Barkley openly admitted that he is bothered by the criticism Manning receives.
"Yeah, it bothers me," Barkley said in a promotional clip for an upcoming interview. "I'm not going to lie, because it's not his fault. He's not the reason why. We love to put the blame on one person, but it takes 11 men, a team and an organization all together to win."
