Jacksonville Jaguars
BY COLE BREDAHL
Come Sunday when the Giants take on the Raiders, Eli Manning’s historic starting streak will come to an end – and effectively his time in New York as well. In 2018, the two-time Super Bowl MVP will reunite with his former head coach Tom Coughlin and start under center for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars have been the surprise of this NFL season as they sit atop the AFC South with a 7-4 record. Astonishingly, the Jags have accomplished this with sub-par quarterback play from Blake Bortles, relying on their stellar defense and formidable running attack to win games.
Although Jacksonville picked up the fifth-year option on Bortles’s contract for 2018, Manning would be a significant upgrade from their current QB, who has posted a 58.3 completion percentage, 204 yards per game, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
In addition to Bortles’s poor stats, he has proven himself unable to perform in the clutch. While Eli’s getting up there in age, his career has been defined by making big throws when it matters most.
Eli going to Jacksonville also makes sense as it allows him to reconnect with Coughlin, who was his head coach in New York for 11 seasons. Coughlin is currently the head of football operations for the Jaguars.
Coming to Jacksonville makes the most sense for Manning and gives him a great shot at winning another ring.
Nick is wrong about Eli ending up in Denver, they already have too many quarterbacks and don’t have the money to spend on Manning. His current $10.5 million deal would leave the Broncos with just $16 million heading into free agency.
Denver Broncos
BY NICK KONOW
With the recent news of Eli Manning being benched, it seems very unlikely the youngest
Manning brother will be playing for the New York Giants next year. With several teams in need of quarterback help for the 2018 season, it makes perfect sense for Manning to join John Elway and the Denver Broncos.
Denver would be the perfect fit for Eli as he approaches the end of his career. The Broncos are one of the few teams hunting for a QB and they possess plenty of talent to surround Manning. Denver has a solid offensive line with great wide receivers, as well as a competent running game.
Even though they haven’t played like it this year, the Broncos also boast one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Denver’s performance at QB has been so bad that they’ve relied too heavily on their defense to win games – a strategy that just isn’t realistic in today’s NFL.
Elway has failed to bring in a quality QB since Peyton retired. Denver has turned to three different quarterbacks this season alone including Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiller and Paxton Lynch, none of whom seem to be the answer.
Yes, I do think the Jaguars would also be a strong fit for the 36-year-old signal caller as the Manning-Coughlin combo would be back in action. However, I really don’t think the Jags are ready to give up on the third overall pick from just three years ago in Blake Bortles.
Just like older brother Peyton, Eli will ride off into the sunset hosting the Lombardi Trophy in a Denver Broncos uniform.
