NFL Rumors: With Nothing Left To Prove, Eli Manning Likely Wrapping Up Career

KEY POINTS

Eli Manning likely to focus on being a dad
Rebuilding Giants focusing on Daniel Jones
Manning has nothing left to prove in NFL career

With the New York Giants in rebuild mode, the likelihood of seeing Eli Manning stay on with the team grows thinner by the day. Already 39-years-old, the only way the two-time Super Bowl champion will stay in the NFL is if some team would take him in.

The thing about that is that most teams now prefer to take in younger players. Though he can still move to a team that would take a chance at a tested veteran quarterback, Manning is likely to end up as a backup or mentor to young rising players. With the accomplishments he has had, it may perhaps be best for the two-time Super Bowl MVP to just walk away.

Manning has barely anything to prove. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post points out, the top pick of the 2004 NFL Draft has made more money playing football compared to anyone else ($252.3 million). Retiring would also allow Manning to attend to his duties as a full-time dad.

The only way Manning will play on is if he admits he still has the itch to play or if any NFL team would be willing to hand him a big paycheck. The chances of any team risking at least a year to get Manning is not that high. Anything is possible but as Yahoo Sports pointed out, walking away with nothing more to prove seems the plausible decision for the four-time Pro Bowler.

As mentioned in a previous post, the player expected to replace him is Daniel Jones. Manning did try to help out the rookie last NFL season. However, he made it perfectly clear that he was not comfortable being a backup. With a new head coach in Joe Judge taking over, it appears that Manning serving as a backup it the best to expect.

On what lies next for Manning is anyone's guess. Coaching is not part of his future plans. There is a chance he could follow the footsteps of retired football players in the TV booth. If not, he could simply attend to his family.

Unlike Tom Brady, Manning seems bent on calling it an NFL career. He does not have a contract for 2020 and there is no word if ever he will get one.