Eli has still had a pretty good career though. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was taken No. 1 overall (just like his brother) in the 2004 NFL Draft. Although it took him five years to get to a Pro Bowl, he led the Giants to a Super Bowl win in his fourth season (2007) and then again four years later.
The last two seasons with dynamic wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. have been especially good to Eli. He’s topped 4,400 yards each of the last two seasons while throwing for 30 or more touchdowns each season.
But with a porous defense and inconsistent running game surrounding him, Eli and the Giants haven’t made it to the postseason since beating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
It’s unfortunate too for Eli, as the youngest Manning brother especially excels in the spotlight of the postseason. Not only does he have sparkling 89.3 quarterback rating in 11 playoff games, he’s calmly led his team to an 8–3 playoff record, after a 0–2 career start.
Of course, with the 39-year-old Peyton’s nearly-inevitable retirement this offseason, 35-year-old Eli still has time to one-up him in the Super Bowl ring department if he can do what he does best and have another great postseason run.
Hopefully Peyton will still be there to cheer him on.
