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Eli Manning is the face of the New York Giants, and since 2004, his coupled reputation with Tom Coughlin has consisted of class, integrity and respect to the game of football. In 2010, the Giants rewarded Manning with a large contract worth $97.5 million over six years. Throughout his time in New York, Manning has rewarded Giants fans by shattering franchise records and helping the team win Super Bowls. Manning has taken pay cuts more than once in recent years to allow the Giants to pursue free agents and help the team improve. It was expected Manning would either take a pay cut this year or have a restructured contract extension to adjust the cap and allow his future to have a little more certainty, but there has been no progress in regards to adjusting Manning’s contract.
Manning is coming off a season under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo where he put up excellent numbers. The only asterisk to Manning’s season was the Giants only won six games. This was the second consecutive season where the Giants were below .500 under Coughlin, and only the second time in Manning’s career.
The losses are the reason fans expected Manning to take a pay cut prior to this season. And due to the fact that Manning has always been a team player, it became an even larger consensus that he would go through with it. But expecting Manning to take a pay cut in the final year of his contract is unfair, and that’s true for any player. That type of process may occur with veterans on the fence about retirement, but not for 34-year-old franchise quarterbacks. In all honesty, Manning probably had a right to be a little insulted but voiced no such thing.
The Pittsburgh Steelers inking Ben Roethlisberger to a huge extension made things a little awkward for Manning and the Giants. Roethlisberger is a part of the same quarterback class as Manning and both have played out very similar results over their careers. Leaving Manning’s contract as is may be a compromise, considering that means he wouldn’t have to take a pay cut, but it certainly leaves a lot of pressure for a proven quarterback who probably deserves a more comfortable scenario.
This season is without a doubt a major test for Coughlin, who Manning has showed a profound loyalty to over the past 11 years. Coughlin was given a contract extension through 2016 by the Giants, but don’t let that fool you. Provided there aren’t other drastic circumstances, another losing season would likely mean Coughlin is out the door. Coughlin’s future with the Giants could be another delaying factor regarding Manning’s contract.
Coughlin-less professional football is something Manning has never experienced, and it’s something he likely doesn’t want to. Due to Coughlin’s age it may be a bridge that needs to be crossed at some point in Manning’s career. But Manning wants Coughlin to remain a Giant, there’s no doubt about that.
The future of the Manning and Couglin era will be crystal clear if the Giants provide a winning season in 2015. Truthfully there are larger uncertainties with the defense than there are with these two individuals, but head coaches and quarterbacks get more heat than anyone else in football — that’s just a fact.
Manning deserves a contract extension, but he likely only prefers one if Coughlin’s future is clarified. Two proven Super Bowl icons still have to deliver if they wish to stay together; welcome to the NFL. This duo has been known to put up victories with their backs against the wall, but after two upsetting seasons, will they be able to turn on the magic again? Their future as a duo depends on it.
