QB · FA · 39 yrs · exp 16 · Mississippi
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ESPN is reportedly planning to add a Pat McAfee-led alternative broadcast for Monday Night Football, airing on ESPN2 on the weeks Peyton and Eli Manning's ManningCast is not broadcast. The move is contingent on NFL approval, which seems likely given the NFL's ownership stake in ESPN and the potential for increased viewership and revenue
Jaxson Dart showed enough in his rookie season for the New York Giants to believe he could be their long-term solution at quarterback. Head coach John Harbaugh is excited about Dart's potential, citing his work ethic, leadership, and talent. However, external rankings place Dart between No. 21 and No. 28 among starting quarterbacks, indicating he has significant room for improvement, particularly in pocket presence, to become the franchise quarterback the Giants envision
The Los Angeles Rams must feel pretty good about the success of their monumental 2021 trade that swapped Jared Goff and a cache of picks for Matthew Stafford. The move resulted in a Super Bowl championship at the team’s home in SoFi Stadium. Years later Stafford is finding new heights in his career. He just put a bow on his most productive season yet and earned the NFL’s Most Valuable Player honors. Even with things going so well, the Rams understand quarterback is the most important position in football. Stafford’s career continuation is on a year-to-year basis. He could easily decide to call it quits after 2026. LA decided now is the time to prepare for the future. They drafted Ty Simpson with the thirteenth overall pick earlier this spring. There is plenty of time to discern what Simpson brings to the table and whether he’s someone that the Rams can be trusted with the keys as soon as 2027. As training camp approaches, now seems like a good moment to ponder on Simpson’s NFL ceiling. For as good as Stafford is, could Simpson one day surpass him? For most of Stafford’s NFL tenure, he was often the 8th to 12th best quarterback in the league. Many in front of him have hung up their cleats: Peyton Manning , Tom Brady , Drew Brees , Matt Ryan , Philip Rivers , Ben Roethlisberger , Eli Manning , Andrew Luck , and others. The league’s new elite quarterbacks are stylistically very different from those who have come before. There is a significant difference in the way they play the game from what makes Stafford successful. I’m thinking of Patrick Mahomes , Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson , Joe Burrow , Drake Maye , Caleb Williams , Jordan Love , and more. The NFL is in good hands with this emerging crop. But modern professional football almost requires quarterbacks to be able to win with their legs. You can get by with a savvy pocket passer, although in short-yardage and goal line situations you may be leaving meat on the bone if your signal caller can’t pick it up himself. This alone is one of the biggest changes the Rams will see when they one day transition from Stafford to Simpson. And certainly Stafford brings a headiness to his play that is unrivaled by the next generation. His no-look passes and ability to quickly progress through the defense gives Los Angeles a massive inherent advantage. There are tradeoffs for nearly any player teams decide to put under center. At least on the surface the Rams seem to understand where the quarterback position is headed. Simpson fits that bill from a stylistic standpoint. A common draft season knock against both Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson was that they are probably NFL starters but may be not better than mid-tier. Simpson has frequently been compared to Brock Purdy , a former seventh round pick and someone who may never become elite himself. But Simpson has Sean McVay’s seal of approval. That is meaningful for nearly anyone on the offensive side of the ball. While seeing Simpson in such a favorable light does require some hand waving and looking past a small sample size, you can certainly see why the Rams felt he was a fit for their system and that he has the potential to grow into a difference maker. One of the main concerns with Simpson is his frame. He stands 6-1 and weighed 211 lbs. at the NFL scouting combine. That weight is likely significantly heavier than where he played at last season while he was battling gastritis. For example, the below list of quarterbacks have a earned reputation for missing time. Being slight of frame is a real concern. Brock Purdy, 212 lbs JJ McCarthy, 219 lbs Jayden Daniels , 21o lbs Lamar Jackson, 216 lbs Kyler Murray , 207 lbs Joe Burrow, 221 lbs Josh Allen is pushing 240 pounds. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are in the mid-220’s. Even 10 additional pounds may make a big difference in terms of sustaining hits over the course of a season. With an opportunity to observe one of the most savvy passers in football, time to build out his ph [... truncated ...]
Brennan Lyons asks: After reading your recent article on Paulson Adebo, in which you attribute his down year to, basically, two main possibilities (an opinion shared by several other writers). One is the style of play – aggressive man vs. zone. The other is following the best WR across both sides of the line. You point out that he predominantly played LCB in NO when he posted two very good years. This begs the question – what are the “preferences” of our other CBs, especially the other big three starting candidates (Newsome, Banks & Hood)? In short, which one do you think is the best “RCB” to pair with Adebo? How much do you think they are affected by playing the “wrong “ side of the field? I am also interested in what you think of Zacch Pickens? He hasn’t garnered much press after joining us. I liked him coming out of college several years ago. Do you think he can be a good complement to Reader & Alexander? Could you also please include a link to Chris’ or Nick’s predraft analysis of him? Ed says: Brennan, some players adapt better to switching sides than others. Offensive linemen talk about how everything is different when you switch sides of the line because everything you doing with your left foot or moving left on one side you do with your right foot or moving right on the other side. I have never discussed it with a cornerback, but it would seem to be the same. Footwork on one side is the exact opposite of footwork on the other side. Banks’ best season was 2023, his rookie year. He played 600 snaps at right cornerback and just 123 at left cornerback. In 2024, 444 on the right and 261 on the left. Last season, 207 on the right and 183 on the left. If memory serves, he was almost exclusively a right corner at Maryland. Clearly, he is more comfortable on the right. Greg Newsome has played both, but last season played 669 snaps on the right and just 62 on the left. Colton Hood can, as far as I know, go back-and-forth. It seems pretty apparant that the best thing to do is leave Paulso Adebo on the left side where he is most comfortable and let Newsome-Banks-Hood play the other side. As for Zacch Pickens , I know little about him other than he has started only three games in three seasons. Here is Chris’s scouting report . Jay B asks: Eli Manning is one of my favorite Giants of all time after Taylor and oddly enough Brandon Jacobs. I simply cannot understand why he gets so much hate and is not a Hall Famer Yet? What gives Ed? I understand the record and playoff appearances but I watched Eli’s entire career and if you look up and down the rosters he played with compared to to some of the other elite QBs of his time he had by far one of the least amount of talent around him than other QBs that had multiple pro bowl level players. Eli didn’t even play with a Pro Bowl WR until late his career. He routinely had bad OLines. Why does Eli get all the blame for poor GMing? He didn’t play in dome for half his games or in San Diego. Why doesn’t he get credit for these feats? Ed says: Jay, you and I feel the same way about Eli Manning . However, most Hall of Fame voters didn’t watch his career the way you and I did and don’t care about the nuance. They care about the .500 record. They care about the lack of Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. They care about all the losing seasons. They care about his high interception total. They don’t care about who he was throwing to. They don’t care that the back half of his career was on Jerry Reese and ownership, not him. They don’t, like I do, believe those two Super Bowl runs that culminated in victories over the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick New England Patriots should outweigh the regular seasons. I don’t understand it, but that’s how it is. GM Joe Schoen’s contract extension length revealed Michael Schack asks: Same age and Giant fan as long as you (and a BBV addict), so I have seen the worst and the best. Last week BBV considered the best and worst decisions of the Off-season. Only you mention [... truncated ...]
Hiring John Harbaugh to be their head coach is the most important thing the New York Giants did this offseason, perhaps the most important thing they have done in a long time. Now, the most important thing Harbaugh and his coaching staff have to do is put Jaxson Dart in the best possible position to become the quarterback his 2025 rookie season hinted he could be. Dart is, of course, No. 1 on our list of ‘most important Giants players of 2026’. Was there ever any doubt he would top the list? The Giants are in the same place entering this season as they were with Daniel Jones in 2020. Jones was drafted sixth overall in 2019 to be the heir to Eli Manning as franchise quarterback. The Giants traded up last year to select Dart 25th overall — hopefully to be what Jones eventually proved he could not be. That, of course, is a top-tier quarterback who could lead the Giants out of the losing cycle they have been in since the 2011 Super Bowl. Like Dart, Jones showed a ton of promise in 2019. He threw 24 touchdown passes, still his career high. He was intercepted just 12 times. He had an acceptable 87.7 passer rating. He showed the ability to make plays with his legs. His primary issue, aside from learning to handle the complexities of the position at the NFL level, was a propensity to fumble too often. After that season, Jones did help the Giants get to the playoffs and win a game there in 2022, but things really went sideways. Injuries, coaching changes, a weak supporting cast, and poor play all led the Giants to move on from Jones midseason in 2024 and start over with Dart last season. Which way will things go with Dart? Harbaugh has done the quarterback development thing before. The first player the Baltimore Ravens drafted after Harbaugh became head coach in 2008 was Joe Flacco . The Ravens won a Super Bowl with Flacco in 2012. Many doubted Lamar Jackson ’s ability to be a franchise quarterback. Baltimore drafted him 32nd overall in 2018. He has won two MVPs and been a three-time All-Pro. Harbaugh did not win a Super Bowl in eight seasons with Jackson. Still, he gets credit for helping both Flacco and Jackson develop into the players they became. Harbaugh loves to talk about traits. There are traits a quarterback needs, but no magic formula for how to maximize those traits and get a quarterback — or any player — to reach his potential. “Well, to me it starts with the ability to make plays,” Harbaugh said at the NFL Scouting Combine when I asked him about developing quarterbacks. “Your quarterback, you watch all the games, you’ll see the quarterback is making a difference one way or another. So it just takes an exceptional level of talent, play-making ability, awareness, grit, all those different things. “Sometimes it’s arm strength, sometimes it’s accuracy, sometimes it’s almost always the ability to get out of the pocket and make a play. So all those things that Jackson has that I’m excited about, it’ll be fun. It’ll be fun to get with him and do it one more time.” Dart showed many good things as a rookie. Among them: Leadership Moxie Ability to make off-platform plays Enough arm to make every throw Ability, willingness to make plays with his legs The list of things Dart needs to improve upon is fairly typical for a young quarterback: Developing more patience in the pocket. Per Pro Football Focus, Dart led the league in self-inflicted pressure last season, indicating a lack of trust in what he saw. Learning more about reading defenses, getting to his second and third reads, and throwing with anticipation. Working from under center and throwing off play-action. PFF data places him among the worst quarterbacks in the league while using play action in 2025. Making “mature decisions” while running with the ball. Dart has talked about this, knowing he needs to protect himself. His deep ball accuracy wasn’t impressive statistically. It was, though, hurt by four drops in 50 throws of 20 or more yards. Nick Baumgar [... truncated ...]
THIBODAUX, LA — Every year spent at Manning Passing Academy is like a family reunion. That’s what University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning told reporters Friday morning at Nicholls as the camp celebrates its 30th anniversary. There were four college players when MPA started at Tulane in 1996: then- Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning , Southwestern Louisiana (now UL ) quarterback Jake Delhomme and wide receiver Brandon Stokely and Northeast Louisiana (now ULM ) quarterback Bo Meeks. Three of those four went on to play in the NFL, while Meeks is a successful high school football coach in north Louisiana. Arch Manning is one of the 46 college quarterbacks who are MPA counselors this year. “I get excited to come back every year and learn more and spend time with my family and other college quarterbacks. It’s a blessing,” Arch said regarding the camp. Manning Passing Academy has been held at Nicholls since 2005 and has also taken place at Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond. The biggest goal of the camp isn’t to mold NFL players but to enhance the high school football experience. MPA has also provided opportunities for women in sports. Multiple NFL starting quarterbacks have been MPA counselors while in college, from Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield to Tyler Shough and Cam Ward . Signal callers from Louisiana colleges were represented on MPA's staff this year: Aidan Armenta (ULM), Kyle Lowe (SLU) and Ean Rodrigue (Nicholls). Retired NFL quarterback Eli Manning described himself as an “old-timer” regarding his time at MPA. He was a camper during the first four years while at Newman. Following a decorated career at Ole Miss and winning two Super Bowls with the New York Giants , Eli’s passion as an MPA counselor still grows after 26 years. “It’s a great reunion to be around my two brothers and my dad but also just being around these high school kids and (seeing) their passion for the game of football,” Eli said. “It’s a great reminder when I was playing to come here and see what it’s all about. "It’s about loving the game and trying to get better and making improvements every single day. I'm happy to be here and coach them up and coach up these college kids as well and kind of help them on their journey going forward.” Manning Passing Academy is more than just a football camp for high schoolers but an economic and tourism boost for Thibodaux and south Louisiana. The Houma Times reported Wednesday economic estimates from the camp’s impact is between $2.5 and $3.2 million annually. Nicholls continues to grow over the past several years with upgrades to John L. Guidry Stadium and a covered practice field. Louisiana Line Camp, which celebrated its 40th anniversary, is another top event that takes place at Nicholls during the summer. Cooper Manning said it’s a tough camp as his youngest son, Heid, was an attendee while at Newman. “It’s been a terrific partnership (with Nicholls), seeing all these unbelievable football fields," Cooper said. "This is a pretty impressive place, seeing these many football fields in a row, just one whistle and everybody rotates. You can’t do that anywhere else. To accommodate 1,400 campers with a cafeteria and dorms and all that is just amazing. The good people of Thibodaux and Houma and this region have been great to us, and I love my time in south Louisiana.” The Mannings are proud of the impact MPA has made across generations. The campers from Tulane are now sending their children to Nicholls. High schoolers from every corner of the United States flock down to Thibodaux each year to continue creating lifelong memories. Former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning's three sons have never missed a second of Manning Passing Academy , which will remain at Nicholls until at least 2028. “We’ve done something that people enjoy,” Archie said. “I hear from friends about the anticipation of the kids before camp, about the week before and two weeks before and how excited they are, es [... truncated ...]
The football from Plaxico Burress' game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots is up for auction on Sotheby's with an estimated value of $100,000-$200,000. The ball represents a historic moment in NFL history, securing one of the biggest upsets ever
Raiders redundancy is apt at the quarterback position. No, I’m not referring to having super veteran Kirk Cousins , No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, and another vet Aidan O’Connell as the top trio in the quarterback room. That’s quite important, don’t get me wrong. It’s having Klint Kubiak as the head coach and primary offensive play caller and his trusted “fixer” Andrew Janocko as his offensive coordinator . Both served as as quarterback coaches in their respective careers and the initial thought was the experience shared between them both, a true QB coach wasn’t necessarily required. Enter: Mike Sullivan. The veteran quarterback guru was added to Kubiak’s staff and now, the Las Vegas Raiders have a three-headed monster to help develop, guide, and teach a reformed quarterbacks room. And Sullivan’s presence on top of Kubiak’s and Janocko’s is a boon for the Silver & Black. Case-in-point: Cousins, who enters his 15th season in the NFL at 37 years old, is taking full advantage of the coaching staff resources available to him. “And there’s so many resources in this building, and it’s exciting to go to work every day and have that many people,” Cousins began, “I mean, Mike Sullivan has been Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning . I mean, I can just go on and on asking, ”What did this guy do, what were his habits like, what drills did he like, how did he get ready, how did he handle the playoffs?” And I’ve got so many people who can help me.” Sullivan’s attention to detail and dealing with duress are his calling card as a quarterback’s coach and that’s what the Raiders need to instill in their quarterbacks — particularly Mendoza. Sullivan brings over 20 years of NFL coaching experience, championship pedigree, proven track record with high-profile quarterbacks, alongside play-calling experience and pre-existing chemistry with the staff Kubiak assembled — all of which will be beneficial to his fellow coaches and, more importantly, the signal callers he’s in charge of. Add assistant head coach Mike McCoy to the mix and Las Vegas has a solid group of offensive minds who have experienced the highs and lows of quarterback development. The common thread amongst the group is prior working relationships. It’s common knowledge that’s quite true for Kubiak and Janocko who both come over from last season’s Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks . Kubiak also worked with Sullivan with the Denver Broncos during the 2018 season as the former was a young offensive assistant while the latter served as the quarterbacks coach. Janocko and Sullivan linked up on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff (2012-13) where the younger coach was an offensive quality control assistant and the veteran was the offensive coordinator. And McCoy and Kubiak were both on the Broncos staff in 2017 with the former serving as the offensive coordinator and latter being an offensive assistant. Each brings unique skillsets to the table, but so far, this offseason in Silver & Black, the group has a unified message that’s singular in purpose and spearheaded by Kubiak. “Yeah, I think it’s just about having one singular voice, and us being all together on it, whether it’s Klint, myself, Sully (Mike Sullivan), any of the guys that step in that position room, making sure that we have our wires together, that we’re making sure that we give one singular voice, whether it be to Kirk, whether it be to Aidan (O’Connell), or whether it be to Fernando (Mendoza), that when those guys hear that, they understand that there’s a clear message, and if it’s not clear, we get it fixed right away,” Janocko said. Las Vegas has four of them on the roster: Cousins, Mendoza, O’Connell and undrafted rookie Jacob Clark. And it’s a room that Sullivan spoke about in an interview on the team’s official website . “The four of them are all pros. Even though obviously Kirk (Cousins) has the most experience and has been in the most number of games, in terms of their approach, all of them are ju [... truncated ...]
Good morning, New York Giants fans! Is Russell Wilson a Hall of Fame quarterback? Not ahead of Eli Manning NY Giants Odell Beckham hopes to be ‘great asset’ for Malik Nabers Do athletes returning to New York teams usually succeed? Brian Daboll’s final Giants mandatory minicamp in June 2025 called for only two days and fewer than four hours of practice: a two-hour session on day one and a 75-minute practice on day two. John Harbaugh’s minicamp schedule is a lot different. Harbaugh’s Giants are scheduled to practice for two and a half hours on Monday, two and a half hours on Tuesday and another 75 minutes on Wednesday in the final tune-up for late July’s grueling training camp in West Virginia. That’s six plus hours in the summer afternoon heat, including two practices that will run the maximum length allowed under the NFL’s and NFLPA’s collective bargaining agreement at two and a half hours under rules of phase three of the offseason program. The Giants are finished with organized team activities. And next week, they’ll wrap up their first set of spring practices under coach John Harbaugh, when they hold a mandatory minicamp from Monday through Wednesday. These three practices will be similar to what the Giants did during OTAs. They are no-pads, no-contact sessions. The New York Giants finished 4-13 last season and are focused on building around potential franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart. They were flushed with draft capital to do so. They took dynamic linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall and guard Francis Mauigoa with the 10th pick after acquiring it for Dexter Lawrence . Second-round cornerback Colton Hood represented terrific value with starting-caliber upside. Malachi Fields should assist the offense, and late-round linebacker Jack Kelly has a pathway. The Giants remain in the early stages of their rebuild, but they took a proper step via the 2026 NFL Draft. Before 9/11, the Twin Towers stood tall and proud in the distance from East Rutherford, N.J., for the New York Football Giants. On a June day in this 25th anniversary year of the terror attack that changed everything, for everyone, everywhere, John Harbaugh called a surprise team breakfast where he informed his players that there would be no practice, but an educational trip instead The 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Harbaugh used the outing to underscore the franchise’s enduring connection to the city and its people, reminding everyone of the responsibility that comes with wearing the Giants uniform. “The thing that just always gets to me is the unbelievable, incredible acts of bravery, the courage that people have in moments when they least expect it,” said Harbaugh. “It’s amazing to me how people respond in these types of situations, especially in this country.” Cowboys, Malachi Lawrence agree to 4-year, fully guaranteed rookie deal | Blogging the Boysl Titans WR Wan’Dale Robinson wearing No. 4 to honor late friend Rondale Moore | NFL.com Dan Campbell: Jahmyr Gibbs is going to be our bell cow now | Pro Football Talk What Buffalo’s fresh-faced team showed at OTAs | ESPN.com Bears board of directors votes to explore Indiana as priority location for new stadium | The Athletic Have a Giants-related question? E-mail it to bigblueview@gmail.com and it might be featured in our weekly mailbag. BBV on X: Follow @BigBlueView | Ed Valentine: @Valentine_Ed | Threads: @ed.valentine Bluesky: @edvalentine BBV on Facebook: Click here to like the Big Blue View Facebook page BBV on YouTube: Subscribe to the Big Blue View YouTube channel BBV on Instagram: Click here to follow our Instagram page
Odell Beckham Jr. is getting a second shot with the organization with which he rose to stardom. The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver is signing a contract with the New York Giants on June 1, according to multiple reports. Beckham, 33, worked out for the team earlier in the day for a second time this offseason alongside fellow veterans JuJu Smith and Anthony Miller , per reports. The Giants also on June 1 signed receiver Braxton Berrios to a one-year deal to help boost a receiving corps that recently lost Gunner Olszewski to a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in an organized team activity session. Star wideout Malik Nabers also faces an unclear recovery timeline from a torn ACL and meniscus that coach John Harbaugh said was "not a simple knee injury." Beckham, 33, reunites with Harbaugh after playing under him on the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He sat out the entire 2025 season after posting just nine catches for the Miami Dolphins in 2024. In New York, he returns to the franchise with which he became one of the league's most scintillating young stars. His flair for the dramatic – such as his signature one-handed catch against the Dallas Cowboys – extended off the field, however, to his criticism of quarterback Eli Manning , eventually leading to his March 2019 trade to the Cleveland Browns . This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Odell Beckham Jr. signs with Giants, reunites with John Harbaugh
Good morning, New York Giants fans! NY Giants were nearly Seattle Seahawks’ season-opening opponent Eli Manning details reasons for not wanting to play for San Diego Chargers Grading the Washington Commanders offseason: Did Washington get better? CORNERBACK: There is so much uncertainty here, with Cor’Dale Flott signing with the Titans (as Robinson did). Flott was the only effective starter last season in the Giants’ five-man secondary. Paulson Adebo (a big-ticket free agent signing last year) returns in 2026, coming off a disappointing Giants debut. Is he actually a No. 1 corner? He sure didn’t look like it in 2025. Harbaugh invested modestly in Greg Newsome at the other corner spot. Then he drafted Colton Hood (who absolutely could beat out Newsome this spring and summer) at No. 37. Given all the question marks surrounding Adebo and Newsome, there is a huge opportunity for Hood to immediately establish himself in this secondary. Slot corner Dru Phillips also must perform much better in Year 3, coming off a sluggish 2025 season. In the 118 days since he was introduced as Giants head coach, John Harbaugh has done pretty much everything besides lead the 11-man offense against the 11-man defense. That milestone finally can be reached Tuesday, when OTAs begin. Media will have eyes on a Harbaugh-led practice with the veterans for the first time on Thursday. John Schmeelk: This was an easy answer for me. It’s the same thing I have been looking forward to since John Harbaugh announced his coaching staff. I want to know what this offense looks like. Does it look like what Matt Nagy did in Kansas City ? Does it look like what Greg Roman did with Harbaugh in Baltimore ? Is it the passing game of Nagy but the run game of Roman? How much will Brian Callahan and his roots appear as the team’s passing game coordinator? There are a few specific things I want to try to get a feel for. The first is personnel. How often do we see either two tight ends or formations with a fullback versus three wide receiver formations? Which tight ends are on the field in what personnel groups? How often do we get gigantic 22 personnel with a fullback and two tight ends and just one wide receiver? I have many questions. Week 1: Dallas Cowboys DB Caleb Downs vs. New York Giants LB Arvell Reese, OL Francis Mauigoa. It’s rare that three top-11 picks are on the field in the same matchup, but that will be the case when the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football in Week 1 (and again in Week 17). Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, and Francis Mauigoa won’t go head-to-head on reps, but it’ll represent a fantastic opportunity to get an early impression on three high-end prospects in a debut rivalry game. Cowboys-Giants doesn’t require additional storylines, but the rookie presences add another layer. 4. New York Giants: As is the case with a few teams on this list, the New York Giants’ young core looks better on paper than it has shown on the field. Jaxson Dart looked like a future franchise quarterback as a rookie, but he has plenty left to prove. Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo , meanwhile, both suffered season-ending injuries as part of a four-win roster. Still, it’s hard not to be impressed with the collection of young talent that New York has managed to compile. Kayvon Thibodeaux , Abdul Carter , Andrew Thomas , and even free-agent addition Isaiah Likely are all still on the under side of 28. If Dart proves to be a steady starter, Nabers returns to full health and Pro Bowl form, and rookies like Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa, and Colton Hood contribute early, New York should be in the playoff conversation this season and for years to come. New York Giants: at Indianapolis , Week 12. The NFL loves its theater, and a later date for this matchup is just what the popcorn-wielding masses ordered. That’s because former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones , who had a resurgent 2025 season with the Colts , is coming off a ruptured Achilles. A lit [... truncated ...]
Twenty-two years after a draft-day trade that helped the New York Giants win two Super Bowls, Eli Manning has finally come clean about the decision not to play for the San Diego Chargers, who selected him No. 1 overall. The decision was his, Manning told the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast , not — as had long been believed — his father’s. “My parents really weren’t supportive. My dad didn’t like the idea,” Manning said. “Now, he came to my defense and like supported me after everything was going down, but … he didn’t like that. And afterwards he took the brunt of a lot of the criticism because he came to my defense and people were saying, ‘Oh, you played in New Orleans all those years you didn’t win, so you’re trying to dictate like where your son’s going.‘ And and he just bit his tongue and said, ‘Hey, this is what Eli wants to do and I support him’ and he did some media to try to save me from doing all the media and taking the hits.” Manning said “friction” he felt between the head coach, GM, anbd ownership led him to question the team’s commitment to winning. “I just didn’t feel like they were the most committed team to winning at the time,” Manning said. “Marty Schottenheimer was the head coach, who was awesome. Had great respect for him. But they came to work me out in New Orleans, went to dinner and there was just friction between the head coach, general manager [A.J. Smith], the owners [Spanos family]. They are all yelling — kind of like fighting.” “We are at a Marriott restaurant. Schottenheimer’s mad like, ‘We’re in New Orleans and we’re eating at a Marriott?’ He’s like pissed. They are kind of bickering,” Eli recalled. “It just didn’t seem there was a lot of agreement on things and they were committed to building a great winning franchise at that moment.” Manning seems to have read the room correctly. The Chargers fired Schottenheimer two years later despite the coach leading the team to a 14-2 record and a second playoff appearance in three years. Manning, of course, led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles during a 16-year career
Eli Manning was almost traded to the Cleveland Browns, Giants QB talks draft decision (Jared Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns tried to acquire QB Eli Manning during the 2004 NFL Draft. Why he wanted the Giants, Steelers instead. Browns schedule prediction: Winning record at bye week (Barry Shuck) – The Cleveland Browns last place schedule could give them a chance for early wins. This prediction is very positive All starting, backup QBs on Browns schedule in 2026 (Jared Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns schedule in 2026 has an interesting set of quarterbacks that they will be facing. Updated offensive line rankings give Browns a brutal reality check (DPD) – The Cleveland Browns invested most of their resources in free agency into one thing: the offensive line. With five starters set to hit free agency, general manager Andrew Berry kicked off an overhaul by trading for tackle Tytus Howard and signing guards Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson . Insider Issues A Stark Warning About Browns’ 2026 Season (Browns Nation) – The Cleveland Browns were already facing a daunting early-season challenge on offense as they have a new head coach, a first-time coordinator, and potentially as many as nine new starters. It is going to take the unit at least a little while to jell while facing a steep learning curve. Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Gets Rough News on Future (heavy.com) – The Cleveland Browns quarterback situation is shaping up to be bad news for Dillon Gabriel. Browns’ rookie Denzel Boston reveals his crazy offseason process (Browns Wire) – New Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston has a couple of superpowers in his game. Some of them are natural, such as his height and his size; others are developed, such as his incredible hands. Aaron Rodgers re-signs: How he fits the Steelers’ offense (ESPN) – In one of the most anticipated transactions of the 2026 NFL offseason, the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers have agreed to a one-year deal that will return the veteran quarterback as Pittsburgh ’s starting passer for the upcoming season. The deal pays Rodgers somewhere between $22 million and $23 million in base salary, with incentives up to $25 million — a significant pay bump from his one-year, $13.65 million deal last year. Will Aaron Rodgers be a bridge to the Steelers’ future or a roadblock? (The Athletic) – When future Hall of Fame signal caller Aaron Rodgers and the QB-desperate Pittsburgh Steelers came together last offseason, everyone involved anticipated it would be a one-and-done season that would push both sides closer to their next chapters. ESPN predicts Bengals will make AFC Championship (Cincy Jungle) – A bold claim, but one we all love. (Editor’s note: Not sure about the whole “we all love” this part.)
Eli Manning revealed on the 'Bussin' With The Boys' podcast that his father, Archie Manning, initially opposed his decision to force a trade to the New York Giants during the 2004 NFL Draft. While Archie later supported his son and defended him against criticism, he did not approve of the trade demand at the time. The article also lists several recent player trades, which are irrelevant to Eli Manning's story
Tom Brady is used to giving speeches. For 23 years as a player, the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback aimed to inspire and motivate with his words. He spoke in front of locker rooms and media countless times throughout that journey. On May 16, he took on a new role – commencement speaker. Brady had the same goal to motivate and inspire, but for a different audience as the commencement speaker for Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business Class of 2026 , where he took the stage to a round of applause. In that moment, he poked fun at himself and his former coach, Bill Belichick. "I don’t do well with compliments," Brady joked. "I had a coach for 20 years tell me how (expletive) I was every day." The quarterback-turned-broadcaster continued with the playful jabs, adding that he was grateful to be with the graduates and their loved ones, "even the ones who are Jets fans." Once he began the speech, Brady used opportunity to draw some parallels between his career and what lies ahead for the graduating class. "Sitting here, looking out at this amazing crowd of business majors, getting ready to start your careers, I realized something – sports was a very strange way to make a living," Brady said. "People screamed at me all the time. They gambled on my performance, and they celebrated all my failures. One way that sports is a lot like business, though, is that when you do it long enough, your life gets defined by numbers. "23, that was the number of pro seasons I played. Seven, those were my Super Bowl wins. Three, those were the Super Bowl losses. (Expletive) it, Eli Manning ." At that point, the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback chose to focus on a different number – 99.7. "What’s that number make you think of? Brady questioned. "It’s an A+ – I didn’t get many of those. It’s a low-grade fever, maybe. But it’s also virtual certainty. If something has a 99.7% chance of happening, the outcome is a foregone conclusion." The quarterback noted that the Atlanta Falcons had a 99.7% chance of winning Super Bowl 51, otherwise known as the 28-3 game. Brady told the story of the comeback, explaining to the graduates that they'll have with adversity and should never quit. "You guys are going to see that," Brady said. "You’re going to think that you’re better than your competition. You’re going to work really hard, and it’s still not going to go the way you want. You’re gonna find yourself on the short end of that 99.7%, wondering just how the (expletive) you got there." "Overcoming fear and doubt in the face of those challenges is where you’re going to gain the confidence to make your best choices when things aren’t going the way you want," Brady later added. "When the odds are stacked against you, when you’re facing your own 28 to 3 moment – and believe me, it’s coming – you will have a choice to make: to quit or to fight your (expletive) off." He told the crowd what was going through his head in that moment. "I said to myself, 'Don’t be a little (expletive). Go out there and fight your (expletive) off. Whether you win or lose, fight to the end.' At that moment, we had no idea what the outcome of the game would be, but the one thing I’ve learned through sports is the only time you’re sure to lose is when you quit." Despite being the team that had been there and done that, the Patriots were on the verge of another crushing Super Bowl defeat. Brady highlighted the differences between the teams and later tied that to the world of business. "This Falcons team was young; they had a new coach," Brady said. "We were the veteran team. We had the Hall of Fame coach. We’d been there before. We’d already won four Super Bowls at that point. "But the experience or reputation only takes you so far. And it’s true beyond sports. History is littered with businesses –mature ones – that took their competition for granted, and then got disrupted by ambitious, young entrepreneurs. Do you guys remembe [... truncated ...]
For the Cleveland Browns, the NFL draft has been a minefield of problems. Just in this century, there are clear arguments about which are the worst selections that the team has made . The Browns have made some great picks, including OT Joe Thomas and DE Myles Garrett . One “could have been” scenario in Cleveland draft history is QB Eli Manning . There have been stories about the then-Browns coach Butch Davis trying to work with Erni Accorsi to move up to the fourth pick, with a shot at moving that selection to acquire Manning. There were a lot of QBs involved in the 2004 NFL draft, including Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger , whose careers could have looked a lot different with a few moves. ( Barry Shuck broke the details down previously ) Manning spoke on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast about his decisions around not getting drafted by the San Diego Chargers, how his dad took the brunt of the blame (despite not being in favor of Eli’s request not to play for the Chargers), and other teams involved in the pursuit. As noted by Pro Football Talk , the Browns were the team that Manning’s agent expected him to be traded to: When the possibility of a trade came up, Condon told Manning the Chargers were going to trade him to the Browns, and he didn’t want to go there, either. Fortunately for Manning, ultimately the Giants and Chargers made a deal, and Manning won two Super Bowl MVPs in New York. Manning talked about what his real motivation was, including the Pittsburgh Steelers being the other team, along with the New York Giants, that he wanted to play for: In the 2004 draft, Davis ended up trading up one spot to select TE Kellen Winslow Jr. How do you think Manning’s career would have played out had Davis and the Browns been able to acquire him on draft night? Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system!
Eli Manning has finally revealed the reason he refused to play for the Chargers after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2004. During an interview, Manning explained that he felt the Chargers organization lacked commitment to winning and described a chaotic pre-draft meeting where members of the front office were yelling at each other. This experience led him to believe they were not focused on building a winning franchise
Tom Brady playfully mocked former coach Bill Belichick and Eli Manning during his commencement speech at Georgetown University, referencing their shared history and Manning's Super Bowl losses to Brady
Eli Manning revealed on Bussin' With The Boys that his decision to refuse playing for the Chargers after being drafted first overall in 2004 was his own, and his father, Archie Manning, initially disagreed with it. Eli felt the Chargers were not committed to winning and did not want to play for them or the Browns, who he was nearly traded to. Ultimately, a trade to the Giants worked out, leading to two Super Bowl MVP awards
Eli Manning stated on Bussin' With The Boys that his decision to refuse to play for the Chargers after being drafted first overall in 2004 was his own, and his father, Archie Manning, initially disagreed with it. Eli felt the Chargers were not committed to winning and he did not want to go to Cleveland either. Ultimately, a trade to the Giants allowed him to win two Super Bowls
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