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Eli Manning Retires After 16 Seasons with Giants, Won 2 Super Bowls for NY

Rob Goldberg

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning announced his retirement Wednesday, ending his career after 16 seasons in the NFL.

Dan Graziano and Jordan Raanan of ESPN first reported the news and added Manning is expected to hold a news conference Friday.

Team president John Mara spoke about the player in an official statement:

"For 16 seasons, Eli Manning defined what it is to be a New York Giant both on and off the field. Eli is our only two-time Super Bowl MVP and one of the very best players in our franchise's history. He represented our franchise as a consummate professional with dignity and accountability. It meant something to Eli to be the Giants quarterback, and it meant even more to us."

The 39-year-old is best known for guiding the Giants to two Super Bowl titles, taking home the game's MVP award in each year.

During those two title runs, Manning led the team to an 8-0 record in the playoffs while throwing a combined 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions. The NFL recently ranked his throw to David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII as the No. 1 Super Bowl play of all time.

Beyond his postseason heroics, the quarterback was a reliable presence for the Giants since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2004, making 210 consecutive starts from his rookie season until being benched in 2017.

Manning earned four career Pro Bowl selections and ranks in the top 10 in NFL history in both passing touchdowns (366) and passing yards (57,023).

Though there will likely be plenty of debate, his production should be enough to earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he's eligible.

Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin praised Manning after his retirement:

"He's an incredible big-game performer. You talk about a guy that's great to coach, focused every day, took tremendous pride in preparing, practice, had a great sense of humor, was a cynic in the locker room. But the guys loved him and they loved him for it, and they played for him. The guys that had the opportunity to play with him know what it's like to be with a guy with as much talent, as much grit, as much determination."

Despite Manning's impressive career, his last few seasons left a lot to be desired.

The quarterback had 40 passing touchdowns across 2017-18 combined, while the team had just a 8-23 record with him as a starter. He ranked 25th among 33 qualified passers in 2018 with a 49.1 Total QBR, while his 47.5 mark from 2017 was 22nd out of 30 players, per ESPN.

His decline caused the Giants to select Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft. The rookie took over after just two weeks, though then-head coach Pat Shurmur continued to praise the veteran.

"I have said it since I got here, I am very fond of Eli," he said after announcing the switch, per Raanan. "His work ethic, his preparation, his football intelligence. All those attributes are as good as I have ever seen in a player."

Manning returned for two more games after a late-season injury to Jones, giving him a chance at a curtain call before calling it a career. 

A final home win against the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 put him at 117-117 as a starter. 

   

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