Eli Manning has been the starting quarterback for the New York Giants for the last 11 seasons. His six-year, $97.5 million extension will expire at the end of the 2015 season and the team will have a decision to make if they don't sign him before then.
They now have an even more difficult situation on their hands since the Pittsburgh Steelers inked quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a new five-year deal that reportedly has a base worth of $99 million and could reach $108 million. Interestingly enough, Roethlisberger and Manning were in the same draft class and each have two Super Bowl rings, which puts them in a similar contract situation.
There have been conflicting reports this offseason regarding the Giants and Manning. Early in February, ESPN's Dan Graziano said the team was "all in" on signing the veteran to a contract extension, but then three weeks later he reported they might let Manning play out the final year of his deal. Rotoworld.com noted New York may have been waiting until Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers received new contracts before making a decision on Manning.
But now that Roethlisberger's deal is settled and Manning had a bounce-back year in 2014, the two-time Super Bowl MVP could get a similar contract before the 2015 season begins. The 34-year-old Manning threw for 4,410 yards (career-high 63.1% completion) with 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions (lowest INT % since 2008). He also recorded the highest QBR of his career (70.93).
"Regardless of fan loyalty or personal preference, it's clear that Roethlisberger and Manning belong in the same contractual bucket," writes Graziano. "So the question the Giants have to ask, as they consider whether to extend Manning now or wait another year before doing so, is whether they're ready to give him this Roethlisberger deal or something that approximates it."
But then again, if Eli has a poor 2015 campaign, the team can perhaps save themselves some money or even move on from the 11-year veteran.
"Waiting a year to do the Manning extension comes with very little risk on the team's end," Graziano added. "His best-case scenario is a monster year and a third Super Bowl title, which would put him in line to land a record-breaking quarterback deal. But they'd have to give him something awfully close to that to lock him up now, and they could always franchise him next year for premium money anyway if they wanted to keep him off the market, so what's the harm in waiting?"
"Another year gives them a chance to answer some lingering questions. What if Manning is in decline? What if this new offense of theirs doesn't really require a $20 million-a-year quarterback? What if they bottom out, get a super-high draft pick and have an opportunity to completely reshape the franchise around a new quarterback, as they did with Manning in 2004?"
All in all, Roethlisberger's deal helps both Manning and the Giants. It pretty much sets Manning's worth (if there were any previous questions surrounding it) and the Giants can now judge by their team's performance in 2015 if they'll need a quarterback at such a high price for at least four more years.
