Eli Manning Might Retire From Football, According To Archie Manning
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Getting benched by Ben McAdoo can really suck the life out of a future Hall of Fame quarterback.
We're learning the extent of that impact this week with Eli Manning, whose streak of 210 consecutive starts will end Sunday when the Giants turn to Geno Smith -- GENO SMITH! -- for some unexplainable reason.
Manning, 36, fought back tears when discussing the situation with the media earlier this week, and apparently, the shock has him considering walking away from the game. At least, that's what his father says.
Considering the uncertainty with the Giants, Archie Manning said Eli might just walk away instead of start his career anew somewhere else.
"Eli might say, 'I've had enough. I'm feeling good. I've got a beautiful wife, three little girls, I'm healthy. And that's it.' So there's no sense speculating," Archie Manning told NFL.com.
Archie added: "For Eli ... it's always kind of been like this: Eli's passion for the Giants goes deeper than most and I've mentioned it through the years. Eli loves playing for the New York Giants. He just does. He just loves it, I think more than most. So therefore, it broke his heart."
Archie made it clear that a retirement decision is far from being made. But it's at least a very real possibility, given the source of the speculation.
McAdoo, meanwhile, may be fired by Monday, according to reports. Archie Manning suggested to NFL.com that the situation was mishandled and the message to Eli was not the one that was intended.
Whatever the franchise's intentions may have been, it's clear that just about everyone involved has botched it. And so, the Giants will get a look at their future on Sunday ... with Geno Smith at quarterback.
