Sports

New York Giants icon Eli Manning set to retire after 16 NFL seasons


New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will announce his retirement from professional football after 16 seasons, the team announced Wednesday.

The durable 39-year-old signal-caller walks away following a decorated career that includes a pair of Super Bowl championships and nearly every team passing record for one of the NFL’s blue-ribbon franchises.

Manning, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who retires with a career record of 117-117 as a starter, saved his best for dramatic runs through the 2007 and 2011 postseasons.

Both times, the Giants barely qualified the playoffs following uneven regular seasons – 10-6 in 2007 and 9-7 in 2011 – only to catch fire in January before upsetting the New England Patriots in a pair of razor-close Super Bowls.

“For 16 seasons, Eli Manning defined what it is to be a New York Giant both on and off the field,” co-owner, president and CEO John Mara said in a statement. “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, who turned 39 on 3 January, said after the regular season ended that he planned to discuss his future with family before making a decision. He said, “I think I can still play,” but added he didn’t see a future with the Giants, noting, “Being a backup is not real fun.”

Manning was benched after Week 2 of the regular season in favor of rookie Daniel Jones, a first-round draft pick who went on to start 12 games. Manning filled in for two starts in Weeks 14 and 15 when Jones was injured, winning his final start at home against the Miami Dolphins.

The younger brother of all-time great Peyton Manning retires as one of only five players in NFL history to win at least two Super Bowl MVP awards, along with Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Tom Brady and Terry Bradshaw.

The Ole Miss product was chosen with the No 1 overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers, but was immediately traded to the Giants after making it clear he didn’t want to play in San Diego. The Chargers ended up with Philip Rivers while the Pittsburgh Steelers chose Ben Roethlisberger.

Manning, who started 210 consecutive games from 2004 through 2017 and never missed a start due to injury, becomes the first of those three to retire, walking away with 57,023 passing yards, 366 touchdown passes and 244 interceptions and a career passer rating of 84.1. His best season came in 2011, when he threw for 4,933 yards, 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while averaging a career-high 8.1 yards per attempt.

“We are proud to have called Eli Manning our quarterback for so many years,” co-owner, chairman and executive vice president Steve Tisch said in a statement. “Eli was driven to always do what was best for the team. 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.”

The all-time leader in franchise history in virtually every passing category, Manning also ranks first in games played, 20 ahead of Michael Strahan.



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