New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning doesn’t deserve to be the highest-paid player in the NFL.
The Giants might have little choice but to make him the league’s highest-paid player, however.
Manning’s contract expires at the end of this season. He and the Giants have been negotiating an extension. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Manning wants to be the NFL’s highest-paid player.
After the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI in 2011, Giants general manager Jerry Reese told Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News that Manning is a “baby-faced assassin.”
Those boy-like features make it hard to believe Manning is dangerous enough to punk the mighty Patriots in two Super Bowls.
Now the Giants are finding that Manning is just as formidable at the negotiating table.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 05: Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 5, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Manning is set to earn a $17 million base salary in 2015, according to Spotrac. He at least deserves to join the $20-million-a-year club. He’s won two Super Bowl rings. Of the eight quarterbacks making at least $20 million a year, Ben Roethlisberger is the only one to win more than one Super Bowl.
Roethlisberger re-upped with the Steelers during the off-season. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers signed a four-year, $84 extension Monday. Now it’s time for the other quarterback in the 2004 draft class to get the contract that will take him into his late-30s.
And $20 million a year should be the baseline of the negotiations. That’s how much it costs in this day and age to keep a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
While Manning’s clutch Super Bowl performances will live forever in the memories of Giants fans, he’s not among the top-tier quarterbacks in the NFL when it comes to pure talent and regular-season production.
Rivers hasn’t played in a Super Bowl, but he won a playoff game two years ago. Manning, on the other hand, hasn’t led the Giants to the playoffs since that last championship in 2011.
Rivers might have thrown a league-high 18 interceptions last season, but Manning led the league in that dubious category with 27 in 2013. He’s third among active quarterbacks with 185 interceptions. Rivers’ career passer rating is 95.7. Manning’s is 82.4. Taking away the first three years of Manning’s career, his rating is still just 85.0.
If the Giants do make Manning the league’s highest-paid player, they’d be paying more for the glimmer of those Lombardi Trophies.
Aaron Rodgers, at $22 million per year, currently is the highest-paid player in the NFL in terms of average annual salary. Would it kill the Giants to go over that figure even if Rodgers is a better quarterback?
The Giants’ offensive line is a mess and their defense is banged up. It’ll be difficult to compete with the Cowboys and Eagles in the NFC East this season.
It would be even more difficult next season without Manning.