Eli Manning just announced his retirement after 16 seasons with the New York Giants.
“Once a Giant, always a Giant. And for me, it is only a Giant,” Manning said in a press conference from the practice facility adjacent to MetLife Stadium.
“From the very first moment, I did it my way. I couldn’t be someone other than who I am. Undoubtedly I would’ve made the fans, the media, and even the front office more comfortable if I was a more rah-rah guy. But that’s not me. Ultimately I choose to believe that my teammates and the fans learned to appreciate that. They knew what they got was pure unadulterated Eli,” he continued.
The Giants announced on Wednesday that the star quarterback was set to retire.
“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,” said John Mara, Giants’ president and chief executive officer, in a statement.
Eli Manning is the younger brother of retired NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, their father, Archie, was also a star NFL quarterback.
Manning started 210 consecutive regular-season games, having the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history, behind Brett Favre’s 297, between November 21, 2004, and November 23, 2017. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The 39-year-old quarterback holds the Giants’ highest career completion percentage, at 60.29%, and was selected to four Pro Bowls. Both of his Super Bowl victories were over the New England Patriots.
