Eli Manning is returning to the New York Giants. However, he’s not going to be the team’s starting quarterback as he’s expected to have an ambassador-type role with the team. According to Giants writer Gary Myers, Manning met with the Giants last week, which was one year after he officially retired from the NFL. He met with trainers, video people and equipment staff while visiting with Giants owner John Mara.
Myers said that Manning expressed interest in working for the Giants, and he was going to carve out a role with Mara. The belief is Manning will be mentoring players and be an ambassador that could spread across the business side. When Manning retired, he talked about working with the team in some capacity.
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“I think that would be something I would be interested in,” Manning said during his retirement press conference. “I’ve just got to, you know, have to discuss that and talk to Mr. Mara and see in what ways, and I’ve got to think about in what way. I think, you know, again, I’ll take some time and just figure out, you know, how I want to spend these next years. But this organization, as I said, so many close friends within the organization, and not just the former teammates, but people in all departments of the organization. The faces, they don’t change.”
The Giants would love to have Manning back even if it’s not as a player. There has been some debate about his legacy, but Giants fans love what he did for the franchise while he was the starting quarterback. Along with being named to the Pro Bowl four times, Manning led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories (2007, 2011). He was also named Super Bowl MVP twice, making him one of five players in Super Bowl history to win the award.
“For the last 16 years, Eli has meant so much to all of us here at the Giants and also to our fans,” Mara said during the retirement press conference. “We all know about the two Super Bowl MVP’s and all of the great performances on the field. But just as important, was the way he conducted himself on and off the field as the consummate professional, always with dignity, always with class.”
