The New York Giants have now dropped their first five games, putting them in a difficult position to catch up with their NFC East rivals heading into the sixth week of the NFL season. The Giants’ sudden fall from grace is a result of a series of injuries that depleted their receiving corps. Without its top three wideouts (including Odell Beckham Jr.), Eli Manning has struggled to spearhead the Giants’ offense.
Manning-Coughlin Reunion
Manning’s name has been thrown into the trading mill with roughly three weeks left in the trading window. The 36-year-old quarterback is still chalking up pretty solid numbers (1,338 yards with 8 touchdowns and 5 interceptions) despite the absence of a capable wide receiver.
There’s still a handful of teams seeking for a productive quarterback, more so a seasoned and proven Super Bowl-winning signal-caller in Manning.
Unsurprisingly, The Jacksonville Jaguars have emerged as the top suitor for Manning. The Jaguars front office is currently headed by Tom Coughlin, who coached Manning for 11 seasons and guided the team to two Super Bowl championships all against the New England Patriots.
Some football pundits speculate that the time is right for a Coughlin-Manning reunion. Boasting a great defense and dynamic running game led by rookie rusher Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville is poised to make the playoffs this season. The scary thing about the Jaguars is they can still improve if only they can find a quarterback who will make them a threat in the air.
On Thursday, Manning shut down the rumors linking him to the Jaguars by expressing his desire to be a ‘Giant for life.’ “I’ve not heard [the Jacksonville speculation], I’ve not felt it, not thinking about it,” Manning told Newsday via Bob Glauber. “I don’t want to play anywhere else. I love this team, love this organization, and I want to be here.”
End of the road for Marshall?
Manning is not the only Giant who has been a subject of trade chatter the past few weeks.
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury, also received some trade rumor heat. According to ESPN’s Mike Sando, trading Marshall would have only netted the Giants a seventh-round pick. The six-time Pro Bowl was projected to play a big part in the Giants’ high-flying offense this season, but he never lived up to expectations even before he injured his ankle.
He only covered 154 yards on 18 receptions with no touchdown in five games.
Marshall is expected to sit out the remainder of the season and with no guaranteed money in the second year of his deal, Pat Leonard of NY Daily News believes the 33-year old receiver might have played his last game with the Giants or perhaps his career.
“Marshall, meanwhile, has one more year on his contract with the Giants but no guaranteed money included in that second year of his deal. So it’s very possible this left ankle stabilization surgery ends his NFL career,” Leonard writes.
