New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will not be returning next season, and will announce his retirement at the age of 39 on Friday, according to a report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jordan Raanan. The Giants later announced Manning’s intention to retire in a post on their website. With the organization fully invested in 2019 draft choice Daniel Jones, Manning is calling it a career after making four starts in his 16th NFL season.
Manning’s Hall of Fame candidacy is sure to be hotly debated by fans and analysts in the coming years, and while he leaves the game with a 117-117 record as a starter, there are likely few current quarterbacks who wouldn’t gladly trade their careers for the one Manning had. Manning led the Giants to two Super Bowl championships in his 16 seasons, and was a remarkable 2-0 against the duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick on the biggest stage in football.
He retires as one of the most prolific passers of all time, ranking seventh on the all-time lists in passing yards and passing touchdowns, mostly due to his longevity. Manning was impressively durable during his career, starting all 16 games in 13 of his 16 NFL seasons. From his sophomore year in 2005 to his penultimate year in 2018, Manning started all but one regular-season game for the Giants, and he never missed a game due to injury in his career.
