On Monday, the day after the 2018 season ended, Eli Manning walked into Dave Gettleman's office for a conversation about the future of the Giants and, more to the point, each of their roles in that future. It was, the team's general manager said on Wednesday, a "very extensive" and "no holds barred" talk that lasted about a half-hour.
What it did not produce, apparently, is any firm decision on whether Manning will be the quarterback of the Giants in 2019 or beyond.
"Everything," Gettleman said, "is on the table for us."
That includes bringing back Manning next season for the final year of his contract, extending him to make his salary cap number more palatable, insisting he take a pay cut to remain with the team, drafting a rookie in the spring and having Manning serve as a mentor for the future quarterback, and even cutting the 15-year veteran who has won two Super Bowls for the organization and signing a veteran free agent.
"What we're trying to do here is build sustained success," Gettleman said. "That takes some brutal honesty and it takes some tough decisions."
Gettleman's end-of-the-season press conference touched on a number of topics, but the majority of the questions _ and his most important answers and non-answers _ revolved around Manning. The quarterback turns 38 on Thursday, and while Gettleman insisted the Giants are heading in the right direction and close to competing for a championship, he could not say that it will happen during the ever-closing window of opportunity that Manning's career provides.
"Here's what I'm committed to do: I'm committed to making the best decision in the interest of the New York Football Giants," Gettleman said. "My commitment is to make this team the best team it can be. If that happens to have Eli playing quarterback, it does."
Unlike a year ago this time, when Gettleman walked in the door as a new hire after having not watched much of the Giants' 2017 season, he saw first-hand every snap Manning took in 2018. He also was on hand for most of the practices. Yet he insisted that he must go back and re-watch it before making any decisions on Manning (or any other players).
"My personal feeling is the biggest mistakes are made when you're emotional and when the season ends you're emotional and you're mentally cooked," Gettleman said. "I always want to be right. You always want to have your whole gut, and that's me, that's just my nature. ... Yes I watched every snap, but I want to watch the film, and I want to have time to breath."
Gettleman gave some indications that he was pleased by Manning. He said his stats were "not too shabby." (Manning threw for 4,299 yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a career-best 66.0 percent completion rate.) He spoke about the learning curve of six weeks for the entire new offense and how much better Manning played in the second half once the offensive line was stabilized. He also called Manning a "mensch."
He said he will take head coach Pat Shurmur's endorsements of Manning into consideration as well.
"Obviously it's part of it," Gettleman said. "Pat's had success with quarterbacks, so I'm certainly going to listen."
When it comes to the decision, though, it will be Gettleman's.
At least from the Giants' perspective. There is another, and that is Manning's. His father, Archie, told ESPN this week that he isn't sure that Eli will return to the Giants, but "if he comes back, the Giants have got to win. They can't go through another season like this."
Gettleman said on Wednesday he could not guarantee that.
Based on Archie Manning's quote, though, it's interesting to note that it was Manning who initiated the pow-wow with Gettleman, not the other way around. It was Manning who wanted questions answered, not Gettleman. Assuming Archie's quote comes from an intimate knowledge of his son's true feelings, Eli may be spending the next few weeks and months evaluating the Giants more than the Giants will be evaluating him.
"Eli came in and he wanted to talk," Gettleman said. "I just have this, like I said, crazy idea that if a guy asks me questions I'm going to be honest with him. It wasn't like he was called to the principal's office. He came to see me."
They had, what Gettleman called, a "great conversation."
But one without any resolution.
"We left it at that."
