Eli Manning could soon be on the move, with rumors that the New York Giants may be looking to trade their longtime starter to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Giants came into this season as the favorite of many pundits to win the NFC East, but instead they have stumbled to an 0-5 start and risk falling out of the playoff race entirely before the midpoint of the season. With an aging squad meant to win now rather than build toward the future, there are already rumblings that the Giants could be looking to scrap this season and spark a rebuild.
That may start with a trade of Eli Manning. There have been reports this week that the Giants are looking to start stockpiling draft picks to fuel that rebuilding process, and CBS Sports noted that Manning’s trade could do just that.
The report claimed that a handful of teams could be interested, with the Jacksonville Jaguars on top of that list. The Jaguars are in contention for a wide-open AFC South but are held back by the inconsistent play of Blake Bortles. CBS Sports recalled that Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said before the season that would be ideal if Bortles were “throwing zero passes per game,” so the team might jump at the chance to bring the veteran leadership and steady play of Eli Manning.
So far, the NFL rumors pointing to an Eli Manning trade do not have any real substance. No one close to the team has given an indication that there are actual talks taking place, and Manning himself said he would like to finish his career in New York.
“I’ve not heard [the Jacksonville speculation], I’ve not felt it, not thinking about it,” Manning told Newsday . “I don’t want to play anywhere else. I love this team, love this organization, and I want to be here.”
Eli Manning doesn’t want to play anywhere else https://t.co/w2APa9FE44
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 13, 2017
But others note this is a common refrain among players, who would rarely go public with hopes to be traded. And with the Giants season continuing to implode, Manning could have more motivation to find a fresh start with a team that could be primed for its first playoff run in nearly a decade.
There are other reasons a trade to Jacksonville makes sense to Eli Manning, including the possibility of a reunion with longtime Giants coach Tom Coughlin, who now has a front office role with the Jaguars as executive vice president of football operations.
Fans will find out soon if the NFL trade rumors surrounding Eli Manning and the Jacksonville Jaguars come true. The NFL’s trade deadline is just over two weeks away.
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