You don't have to remind Eli Manning how old he is. Entering his 16th year in the NFL this season, the veteran signal caller is well aware of how young his teammates are compared to his 38-year-old self.

He's reminded of it when he enters the quarterbacks room at the team facility in East Rutherford, when sixth overall pick Daniel Jones is sitting right there awaiting his turn to take over the Giants (or so the team hopes).

That transition isn't expected to happen this season. The Giants are entrusting Manning to lead the way on offense yet again, and he's fully prepared to do so. Because on and off the field around his teammates, Manning does feel young again.

"In the locker room, I feel their age," Manning told nola.com's Rod Walker. "At 8 o'clock at night, I don't feel their age. I'm ready to go to bed and they are just getting started rocking and rolling. I can't hang and do everything they can do off the field. But on the field, I still feel like I can still run with them and they keep me young."

Manning was back home in Louisiana for his annual Manning Passing Academy with his father, Archie, and brothers Peyton and Cooper. It is a time he cherishes every year, saying "it's guaranteed I get four days with my dad and my brothers, and we don't all get together often."

During that family time, Eli says talk about his retirement doesn't come up. His family knows that he'll hang up the cleats when he feels it is right for himself -- the same way Peyton did after winning Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos.

"I'm not rushing into retirement, and Peyton's not telling me to rush into it," Eli explained. "I still love being around the guys and the teammates and playing this game. I'm going to play it for as long as I think I can hang with these guys."

Eli's teammates are different this season. The biggest change is his top receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., will be donning a Browns jersey after the blockbuster trade a few months back. Golden Tate was brought in quickly to replace him, and Sterling Shepard will likely see a bigger role now in the passing game.

But Manning is excited to see what his new teammates can accomplish this season.

"We've been aggressive in the offseason and made some change," he said. "We brought in some new linemen, brought in Golden Tate and also made some defensive moves as well. I'm excited about the way the spring worked and having guys to fit the offense and fit this style. It's going to be fun."

The Manning family is hoping these changes will turn into wins for the Giants this season. New York was slightly better last season at 5-11 following a dreadful 3-13 season in 2017.

Archie knows how bad his son wants to win, and when the time comes, finish his career on a positive note.

"They've been doing some losing lately, and he doesn't like it and he wants to turn that around," he said. "Eli realizes the situation. They drafted a young quarterback. They've got to win some games. He knows that. But he's attacking it full speed. Eli has a great mindset to be a quarterback and a football player. He knows he can play at a high level, and he thinks he can lead his team so we're pulling hard for him."

"You take it year by year," Manning added. "I've been blessed going into my 16th year. That's been a blessing in itself. I love what I'm doing. I love the work that goes into it. You never know when it's going to be your last year or when it's going to be the end for you, so you try to take advantage of the years you're here and enjoy every moment."

Popular in the Community