Late in November 2017, the Giants made a decision that fractured more than just their QB room. It shook the identity of a franchise. Eli Manning—a 2x Super Bowl champ and Super Bowl MVP was left to think what went wrong. After 210 consecutive starts, the face of the team, the Big Blue, received a blow that he never saw coming. Was it because he had been slacking off? Absolutely not. It wasn’t for poor stats or an inconsistent performance, but for a quarterback evaluation period involving Geno Smith and Davis Webb.
Just a text from ownership, a hallway meeting with Ben McAdoo, and an announcement that would stun the entire NFL. Tom Coughlin once said, Eli was “everything you want your son to be made of.” And he meant it. Even as the Giants stumbled toward a 2–9 record, Manning was still showing up on the field, in the locker room, and before games, where he’d deliver emotional pleas to teammates. But the Giants wanted to preserve that streak, the one nobody talked about until it hit 209. Just the optics. “Start the game, then come out,” they told him. Eli refused. “That’s not what it’s about,” he said then. And nearly eight years later, those same wounds still haven’t healed.
On a recent episode of The Glue Guys podcast, Manning opened up like never before about that benching—and how it crushed him. “It was tough,” he said. “Just that conversation… I was told, ‘You’re going to start, but we’re going to take you out… at halftime.’” The reaction? Disbelief. “I’m like, ‘What if I’ve thrown four touchdowns? What if we’re up 28–0?’” The answer came back cold: “You’re still getting pulled,” and the logic? “Well, the streak.” Eli didn’t bite. “No. That’s not happening. I’m not playing just for a streak,” he said. “If you want to make a move, make a move. That’s about the integrity of the game.” So, it did happen.
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And guess what? The decision still stings, and for Manning, the fallout was personal. “You see the end coming—and you don’t know if it’s the end of your career. Is that your last game ever?” he told Shane Battier on the show. “It’s a lot of tears. It hurts. It hurts a lot. Because of what you’ve put into it, what the game means to you, what your teammates mean to you.” Normally guarded Manning didn’t shy away from the emotional weight of that week.
And yet, true to form, he handled it with grace. “I’ve been through every role—starter, backup. And now I’m a backup this week. Someone else has a chance,” he said. “I’m not going to make it awkward for the team, I’m not going to throw a big fuss or quit or leave. I’m going to stand up, take it like a man.” He was benched, yes. But he didn’t flinch. Back in 2017, the football logic behind the decision was debatable at best. The human cost? Devastating. And if there’s anything this recent reflection proves, it’s that Eli Manning didn’t just lose his job that week—he lost part of himself.
Yet, there’s no love lost between Eli Manning and the NYG
Eli Manning hasn’t taken a snap since 2019, but if you thought he was done with the Giants, you haven’t been paying attention. Back in 2021, the Giants’ website ran a feature titled “Why We Love Eli Manning.” A full-on salute on his steadiness, his rings, his record-breaking fourth-quarter TDs, and his brutal hits absorbed. But without the drama. “If the Giants were playing, Eli was too.” That’s how they put it. And honestly, after the guy served for 16 years, that’s befitting.
“He was always going to be there,” Ernie Accorsi said. The best part about that line is that it still stands true. Fast-forward to 2025. Eli’s name is back in the headlines, and no, it’s not for another witty jab on the Manningcast. The man wants in—literally. He’s reportedly assembling an investment group to buy up to 10% of the Giants. Ownership. Real stakes. Not just honorary appearances and pressers. This comes as the Mara and Tisch families explore selling a slice of the team for the first time in… well, forever.
“There’s probably only one team I’d be interested in,” Eli told CNBC. Of course, it’s the Giants. Now, let’s pause. You might be wondering: Is this just business? Or does Eli want a say in the front office, maybe even football ops? We don’t know yet. But Brady’s already done it—snagged a stake in the Raiders and pulled strings with hiring. Manning’s move could echo that. Quiet. Strategic. Just like he played.
So here we are. The man who once beat Brady twice on the biggest stage is now trailing him in the ownership race. Still, this isn’t about catching up. It’s about roots. About home. And for Eli Manning, New Jersey, the Giants, the locker room, and that blue #10 jersey? That was never just a uniform. It was a lifetime lease.
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