New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning is retiring following 16 seasons in the NFL, all with the Giants.
Manning, 39, owns every passing record in franchise history, won two Super Bowl MVP honors, and won two Super Bowls, defeating the New England Patriots in both games, during his career with the Giants.
Manning is one of just five players in NFL history with at least two Super Bowl MVPs, joining Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, and current New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Manning is seventh in NFL history with 57,023 passing yards, 366 touchdown passes and 4,895 completions for his career.
“For 16 seasons, Eli Manning defined what it is to be a New York Giant both on and off the field,” John Mara, Giants’ team president and chief executive officer, said in a statement announcing Manning’s retirement. “Eli is our only two-time Super Bowl MVP and one of the very best players in our franchise’s history. He represented our franchise as a consummate professional with dignity and accountability. It meant something to Eli to be the Giants quarterback, and it meant even more to us. We are beyond grateful for his contributions to our organization and look forward to celebrating his induction into the Giants Ring of Honor in the near future.”
Manning was set to become a free agent this season, and with the Giants already turning the page with quarterback Daniel Jones in 2019, it seemed that Manning may have a hard time to find a starting gig on the free agent market.
“I learned very early that you evaluate quarterbacks on their ability to win championships, and to do it late in a game when the game is on the line, that they’re able to take a team down the field and into the end zone to win a title,” former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, said in the statement.
“The second thing is to know that over a period of years, he’s always going to be there. Those kinds of quarterbacks always give you a chance to win, and for 16 years, he did that for this franchise. He won championships and he was always there giving us a chance to win. I don’t know how you can ask more from a quarterback.”
“It was an honor and privilege to coach Eli, and to go through the wonderful and magnificent moments that he and his teammates provided for all of us in the world championship ’07-’08 and ’11-’12 seasons,” former Giants coach Tom Coughlin said in the statement.
“The New York Giants, flagship franchise of the National Football League, have four world championships. You have four trophies sitting there. You have (Phil) Simms, you have (Jeff) Hostetler, and you have Eli for two. Eli Manning not only is the quarterback on those great teams, but he is the MVP of the Super Bowls. He’s an incredible big- game performer. You talk about a guy that’s great to coach, focused every day, took tremendous pride in preparing, practice, had a great sense of humor, was a cynic in the locker room. But the guys loved him and they loved him for it, and they played for him. The guys that had the opportunity to play with him know what it’s like to be with a guy with as much talent, as much grit, as much determination.”