How high is Eli Manning’s ceiling with the New York Giants?

Everyone knows Daniel Jones is the future, but is he also the present? Eli Manning has a small window to shine before reality sets in. How high is his ceiling with the New York Giants?

There are few constants in the NFL. Rosters turn over every season. Winners become losers and vice versa. The standings become jumbled each and every year. Individually, things are usually more stable for the veterans in this league, but not always. In the category of having no idea what to expect this year is New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

The ceiling for Manning entering 2019 is certainly lower than that of the upper echelon at his position. However, thanks to the influence of the front office, we really have no idea how much or how well Manning is going to perform. His production could vacillate between above-average and terrible, and between playing all 16 games and playing just a few.

How high is Eli Manning’s ceiling with the New York Giants this season?

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate Eli Manning in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

The last time Manning had a really good season was — well, if you go by statistics, last season. Manning threw for over 4,200 yards and set career bests in completion percentage and interception percentage.

Of course, no one outside of the most biased Giants fans think Manning is an elite quarterback at this point of his career. The real question is how long he can remain adequate and hold off rookie Daniel Jones. The former is mostly in Manning’s control; the latter might not be in the least.

For Manning to be adequate, he will first have to adjust to some new offensive teammates but otherwise take advantage of defenses primed for the run. There shouldn’t be a lot of pressure squarely on Manning’s shoulders when Dave Gettleman wanted to create a run-heavy approach.

However, being adequate and holding down the fort behind a lot of running won’t necessarily be enough for Manning to keep his job. It could come down to wins and losses or, even more innocuous, the whims of management.

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A bad start to the season, even with Manning playing okay, could force the team’s hand into moving toward Jones. The first six games of the year include three teams vying for the postseason (Dallas, Minnesota and New England), a fourth team with an elite defense from last year (Buffalo) and a fifth that’s a road contest against a similarly skilled squad (Tampa Bay). The only game left out is a division battle against Washington.

Who knows how many losses could mount that have nothing to do with Manning’s play other than the fact that he’s not good enough to lift other problem areas. In comes Jones because bad teams let young players gain experience. That’s the rule.

But there is yet another scenario in which Manning is okay, the team is playing okay, and Jones is still moved into the starting lineup. What if Pat Shurmur thinks he needs a jolt to his offense? What if the heavy running approach isn’t working, and they want to mix things up? What if the offensive line isn’t good enough, and the team needs to try out Jones’ athleticism? What if Gettleman demands to see what Jones can do because he feels a bit of a hot seat after such an infamous offseason?

I would believe any outcome with Manning’s playing time this season. It leaves the entire Giants season up in the air, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A guaranteed 16 games from Manning puts a cap on the level New York could reach and how interesting they would be. Now, the possibilities are endless, at least in terms of being interesting.

Dan Salem:

There is no way that Eli Manning plays all 16 games for the New York Giants this season. He may lose the starting job before Week 1, but will certainly cede control of the offense to Jones by early October.

These are the current thresholds in the NFL, accepted by all and indisputable. We know this because of last season specifically. Every rookie quarterback selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft started for his team. If a rookie quarterback did not start for his team Week 1 of 2018, then he was handed the reins by October. Call it a one month extension of the preseason.

Both options are in play for New York this year, having everything to do with whether Jones “looks” ready enough to not make the Giants’ front office look bad. Drafting him in the top 10 basically ensures that Jones will be New York’s starter this season, it’s just a matter of how quickly he can not look bad. Manning can play lights out and lead his team to an undefeated record, but Jones is still going to get his job in the early part of the year. Manning is playing for his future.

Does Manning want to keep playing football after 2019? If so, he can earn himself a new job with a great September. This fictitious job will be with a different team, but it certainly exists.

He is a championship winning quarterback and the ultimate game manager. Give him a solid offensive line, a running game and one above average receiver, and watch out. That sounds like several contenders who don’t currently believe fully in their veteran quarterbacks. Manning may prefer to retire as a Giant but getting benched, even when planned, is still hard to swallow.

What should New York actually do this season? The Giants have a sophomore running back who just so happens to be a budding star in the league. Do not waste a season. Handing the quarterback job to Jones when the team is winning with Manning is a bad idea, because it potentially wastes a season of peak Saquon Barkley. A team can not do this.

The Giants are going to but they absolutely should not. This is why you draft the quarterback before the running back. Career lengths are not created equal and Barkley has a shorter window than Jones. He is a great player, so New York must ensure the team can win with him right now.