The Giants draft a quarterback? You’ve got to be kidding.
So said several prominent former NFL quarterbacks who, while acknowledging Eli Manning is having a nightmare season, see no reason for the Giants to give up on him.
“Last time I checked, [Louisville quarterback and top NFL prospect] Teddy Bridgewater did not win two Super Bowls,’’ Dan Marino said Monday on “NFL Monday QB’’ on CBS Sports Network. “The level of play that Eli Manning has displayed throughout his career is there. He’s proven. It’s just an off year for them. The New York Giants are not very good, obviously at 0-6, but there is no way I’m taking a young quarterback when I’ve got a guy like Eli Manning. He’ll get over this year. And he’s going to be a much better player as time goes on.’’
Phil Simms, no stranger to hearing whispers about a Giants quarterback, said any young quarterback will be hard-pressed to live up to Manning’s standards.
“It has been a rough year,’’ Simms said. “But there is no doubt in my mind that I would stay with Eli Manning. And so will the Giants, because you know what you have. And, if you bring someone in you have to groom him to be what Eli is. And let me just throw this out there right now, this unbelievable quarterback class that is coming out, it is not going to be unbelievable. We’ll find out when the time comes, but I don’t see any knock-down, absolutely sure, big-time NFL quarterbacks so far from this upcoming draft.’’
Rich Gannon went a step further, saying “You have a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Eli Manning. Does he have to play better? Absolutely. But I think it’s insane to even consider that the Giants would make a change.’’
Another former NFL quarterback, Steve Beuerlein, said Manning’s season — he has an NFL-high 15 interceptions — has been “pathetic,’’ but that doesn’t mean Manning will continue to be pathetic.
“There is no way you can discount what he has done to this point,’’ Beuerlein said “He’ll forget about this year. He’ll forget about this year before this year even ends. He’ll start playing better and Eli will prove he’s the guy there for the next many years.’’