New York Giants: Eli Manning not mentoring potential replacement

Eli Manning believes it’s not his job to mentor the New York Giants starting quarterback.

The New York Giants are a crossroad through two eras during the current offseason. Davis Webb is on the roster, and the team is more than able to draft a premium quarterback. They also have Eli Manning set to resume his old job as the starting quarterback. It isn’t a bad problem to have, But Manning is at the tail end of his career and the Giants have to think about what to do next.

We hear a lot about mentors when talking about veteran quarterbacks. It is assumed that their job is to get the next generation of quarterback ready for their day in the sun. It was the order of the day last year with the Jets and Josh McCown. He actually seemed very comfortable with the concept of being a mentor.

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But he had just joined the Jets. What if you are the long-term starter for a team and asked to mentor your eventual replacement? Well, if you ask Eli, he doesn’t see himself as a mentor (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN)

"“It’s not your job to mentor somebody, but I wouldn’t look at it as that role,” Manning said. “I would look at it as it’s my job to prepare and compete and be ready to play each and every game. In that process, you’re always talking football, helping out the other guys in the room, whether it’s Davis Webb this year or Geno or guys over the years. You always have back and forth. You’re always helping them out. Nothing changes.”"

In a sense, it comes off as selfish. He’s been around the league a long time, how dare he not mentor these new players? Maybe he is on his high horse because he thinks he is special. His name is “Manning”. He could think he doesn’t have to do anything.

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But what if he mentors, by not mentoring? Eli has never been known as a vocal guy. He is a guy that leads by example. Maybe he mentors by example as well. The young players learn from how HE prepares to play. They learn by how he studies, by how he directs the offense. It’s possible to learn from just being around someone.

So in a sense, Manning is mentoring just by being himself. That works too.

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