Keidel: Eli Is Great, But He Does NOT Deserve To Be Highest-Paid Player In NFL
By Jason Keidel
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We know everything about him. And there's almost nothing to dislike.
Spawned by the most fertile QB draft class since 1983. Drafted by the Chargers. Brooding on the dais while stretching a San Diego jersey across his chest, perhaps the only inelegant moment of his career. His iconic father pulling the strings on a draft day deal. Then happily shipped to the Giants. And the rest has been pristine, his career swathed in faerie dust; a noble, humble and clutch quarterback from whistle to gun.
To this day there's robust debate over who was the best QB picked that year. Philip Rivers, who has no rings but is as deft a passer as anyone not named Aaron Rodgers? Big Ben, who has made the most trips to the Super Bowl, bagging two rings? Or is it Eli Manning, who won both of his shots at a Lombardi Trophy, taking two Super Bowl MVP awards with him?
There's no right answer, of course. Any franchise would beg to be blessed with such blessed talents. And while rings are the main metric for measuring a quarterback these days, it's unfair to peg a stained label on one player's lapel if he happens to never be flanked by fabulous players. Is Dan Marino any less a passer sans a Super Bowl ring? Fran Tarkenton?Jim Kelly? Is Jim Plunkett better than Marino or Kelly simply because he had Marcus Allen one year and they didn't?
But it's more than numbers and rings with Manning. From the moment he got here he belonged here. His drawl and disarming charm come out as smoothly as a spiral. You half expect him to have overalls under his jersey, thumbing them in the huddle while he barks the next play.
Like Derek Jeter before him, Manning was able to bask in Broadway's glow without burning in its glare. He remains painfully private while not being obnoxious, funny while not offensive, self-effacing while remaining in the high orbit of A-List fame. Has anyone seen his wife? Does he have kids? Does he have a hobby? We don't know (unless we do some research). Manning has somehow hurdled the media minefield that has exploded under so many famous feet.
You don't have to be a Giants fan to adore Manning. But you have to guzzle Big Blue Kool-Aid to say he's the best player in the NFL. And if he's indeed asking for the most money, then he indeed fancies himself that way. He can squat next to WFAN host Mike Francesa and say it's beyond his control, that he's miles from those meetings where his agents demand the suitcases of cash. But Eli Manning is the boss of Eli Manning. Not one demand is made without his approval.
This column is very kind to Manning. After he won his second Super Bowl, I said his next stop should be Canton, Ohio, no matter how the rest of his career unfolds. I have nary a negative word for the young man.
But he's not the best player, or the best quarterback, which seem to be one and the same in the pass-happy NFL. In fact, he's probably not in the top five. If you're objective enough, you'll certainly slide several players before the beloved Manning. Tom Brady. Rodgers. Andrew Luck. Big Ben. (Call me a homer on that, if you like, but most of the world west of the Hudson would agree.)
And how about Eli's big brother? Maybe Peyton can't throw the ball 60 yards anymore, but he still puts up biblical stats. Is Eli clearly better than Rivers or Romo or Stafford? The numbers don't make it obvious. But his two rings have earned him a notch above them.
In the nouveau, ADD world of social media, every critique is seen as a criticism. But it's not. We love Eli Manning. And if you'd like to say he deserves more than Colin Kaepernick, Andy Dalton and Russell Wilson, I'm with you.
But he's not Rodgers, whom this writer thinks is the most naturally gifted passer on the planet, and may go down as the best ever to toss a pigskin. Just ask WFAN host Boomer Esiason how good Rodgers is. Not that long ago, the former Bengals great said he'd pay cash money to watch Rodgers throw -- rather rare praise from the retired QB.
Since he last led the Giants to the Super Bowl, Eli has tossed 74 touchdowns, along with a troubling 56 interceptions. He's completed barely 60 percent of his passes, for a robust 12,176 yards. Nice numbers, but not dominant, and surely not No. 1 salary stuff. Just two years ago, he hurled a career-high 27 picks -- Geno Smith territory. And since winning trumps all stats, consider his record since 2011...
Twenty-two wins. Twenty-six losses. Zero trips to the playoffs.
Compare that to Romo over the same period. The Cowboys' QB has thrown 83 touchdowns with 38 interceptions, completed roughly 65 percent of his passes and posted a record of 28-18.
Comparing Manning to Rodgers is laughable. Over his last three full seasons (he missed almost half of 2013) the Packers' magician has tossed 122 touchdowns (that's not a typo) with 19 interceptions (also not a typo). That's a 6-to-1 ratio, 103 more TD than INT over just three seasons. If you need more numbers, Rodgers has put up 13,319 yards, and has posted a regular-season record of 37-10.
And THAT'S why Eli Manning doesn't deserve No. 1 QB quid.
Again, Eli's legacy is laminated, his bust in Canton almost assured. He is, without question, the best quarterback in the history of the New York Football Giants. But that doesn't make him the best ever in the NFL, or even the passer nonpareil at this moment.
Though the employer and employee are reportedly galaxies apart in these contract negotiations, the good news is Eli loves the Giants and the Giants love Eli. Both have done wonderful things together, and either would be way worse off without the other,
Eli deserves to get paid, and will get paid. The amount is a matter of opinion, negotiation and caution. If Eli handles himself at the bargaining table as he does in the big game, both sides will be smiling by Week 1.
Follow Jason on Twitter @JasonKeidel.