Manning, Eli

Eli Manning, in full Elisha Nelson Manning, (born January 3, 1981, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.), American professional gridiron football player who quarterbacked the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) to two Super Bowl championships (2008 and 2012), earning the game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award each time.

Manning was the youngest of NFL quarterback Archie Manning’s three sons. He followed in his father’s footsteps and played college football at the University of Mississippi, where he passed for 10,119 yards and 81 touchdowns in four seasons. As a senior he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, won the Maxwell Award as the country’s best all-around player, and was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year.

Manning was selected by the San Diego Chargers with the number one overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft, but he did not want to play for the Chargers, so they traded him to the Giants. Because of his father’s storied football career and because elder brother Peyton Manning was already one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks, Eli had great expectations thrust upon him before he even threw a pass in the league. Indeed, the inevitable comparisons with his brother may have played a role in Eli’s early struggles. As New York’s starting quarterback from 2004 to 2006, he went 20–21, including 0–2 in play-off games.

Manning struggled in the 2007 regular season, tying for the league lead in interceptions with 20, but the Giants finished 10–6 and clinched a spot in the play-offs. He then excelled in the postseason, leading the Giants to road wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers to earn the National Football Conference (NFC) title and a trip to Super Bowl XLII. On February 3, 2008, Manning led the Giants to a 17–14 victory over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots, taking the lead on a touchdown pass with 35 seconds left in the championship game.

Manning’s strong play continued in the 2008 season. He led the Giants to a 12–4 record, the NFC East Division title, and the top play-off seed in the NFC, but the team was upset in their opening postseason game. He was also chosen for the first time to play in the Pro Bowl. In 2009 he passed for more than 4,000 yards for the first time in his career, but the Giants struggled to an 8–8 record and missed the play-offs. Manning earned Pro Bowl honours in 2011 after passing for a career-high 4,933 yards and guiding the Giants to five fourth-quarter comebacks during the regular season. He then won two road games in the play-offs to set the all-time mark for postseason quarterback wins on the road at five and propel the Giants to a second Super Bowl win over the Patriots.

In 2012 Manning passed for 3,948 yards and 26 touchdowns and was named to a third Pro Bowl. The following year he led the NFL in interceptions with a career-high 27, as the Giants limped to a 7–9 record and missed the play-offs for a second straight year. Manning had a much better season in 2014 under a new offensive system, with 4,410 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, but the Giants posted the team’s worst record (6–10) since he became the full-time starting quarterback. He improved on his production in 2015, setting a career high with 35 passing touchdowns while throwing for 4,436 yards. However, the Giants’ poor defense again undercut the team’s improved offense, and New York finished the season with another 6–10 record. His production fell off in 2016 with 4,027 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, but a much-improved defense helped the Giants earn a play-off spot for the first time in five years. Manning struggled in 2017, throwing for 3,468 yards and 19 touchdowns, while the injury-plagued Giants team limped to a 3–13 record. He passed for 4,299 yards in 2018, but the Giants’ scoring offense remained stagnant, and the team won just five games that season, which led the franchise to select quarterback—and presumed Manning replacement—Daniel Jones in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. Manning began the 2019 season as the team’s starting quarterback, but he was supplanted by Jones after two games. Manning started two more games later in the season after Jones was injured, but he ultimately decided that his time with the Giants was at its end, and he retired in the off-season. At the time of his retirement, he ranked seventh in career NFL pass completions (4,895), passing yards (57,023), and passing touchdowns (366), as well as 12th in all-time interceptions thrown (244).