Brady, Peyton, Brees, Rivers, Rodgers, Cutler, Romo, McNabb, Warner, Roethlisberger. These players do not just represent ten players in the league which I would rather have over Eli, but they are just ten QBs. So why has Eli Manning become the highest paid PLAYER in NFL history by signing a contract totaling 7 years for a nice $106.9 mil? One reason….his name is Manning.
After countless pro bowls, MVPs, and a Super Bowl victory (where he was MVP of the game), Peyton has hyped up the Manning name so much that it has become synonymous with success.
People even think his father, Archie, is a great Quarter Back now even though in 13 professional seasons the guy never generated 1 winning record.
But back to Eli; with a career average passer rating of 73.3, when compared to big brother Peyton’s 94.7 and Tom Brady’s 92.9, is below average at best. This type of rating is much better off being compared with the likes of Trent Dilfer (70.18), David Carr (74.44), and Joey Harrington (69.38). These comparisons certainly do not favor his case either.
It is also very arguable that he might still not be a Giant if he had not won Super Bowl XLIII vs the Patriots. Which brings up the question, had David Tyree not caught a ball against his helmet with one hand, something he would not have done 999 times out of a 1,000, where would Eli be now? He should be setting Tyree up for life or at the least paying for Plax’s defense attorney costs.
Eric Feld