{"id":74296,"date":"2019-10-07T20:05:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T00:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=74296"},"modified":"2021-05-30T14:18:12","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T18:18:12","slug":"eli-manning-nfl-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/10\/07\/eli-manning-nfl-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"Eli Manning Has Already Made Unofficial Coaching Debut; Who’s Next?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Replacing Eli Manning<\/a><\/strong> as the starting quarterback of the New York Giants<\/a> was the brilliant move that nobody saw coming; not after the franchise made apparent their belief that his successor, of all young and available quarterbacks, was Daniel Jones<\/a><\/strong>. The sixth overall 2019 draft pick spurred outcries for the firing of general manager Dave Gettleman<\/strong>, and awakened a new kind of what can only be described as hatred, in fans across the nation. And then, Jones led the G-Men to their first regular season victory. And then, the second. And then a loss against a vicious Minnesota Vikings<\/a> defense, sure. But now, who knows what\u2019s possible for the remainder of the troubled team\u2019s season? One thing is certain; Jones isn\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n

Eli, now at what will presumably be his final career season (his contract ends after this year), has taken on a new role with the team he\u2019s loved since he asked to be traded on his draft day 15 years ago. He\u2019s the backup, sure. And with Jones\u2019 crazy out-of-pocket tendencies, old faithful might see the field before the year is out. But it seems now that he exists primarily as DJ\u2019s mentor and personal coach. And after this year, don\u2019t expect to see him charming America in commercials like his brother, Peyton<\/a><\/strong>, or commentating like his father, Archie<\/a><\/strong>. Eli Manning, two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, is destined to coach.<\/p>\n

Eli Manning and Other Quarterbacks-Turned-Coaches of the Future<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Destiny in Practice<\/h3>\n

Daniel Jones isn\u2019t technically Eli Manning\u2019s first venture as a \u201ccoach\u201d of sorts. Many NFL players spend their off-seasons working the camp circuit, preening the techniques and advising the careers of the next generation of football talents. Manning and his brothers Peyton and Cooper, and father Archie, founded the Manning Passing Academy<\/a> in 1996. The clinic, held annually at Nicholls State University in Louisiana, works with rising eighth grade through rising senior-aged players in coaching four positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. Accomplished professionals in these positions contribute to the camp staff each year.<\/p>\n

But until now, Eli Manning\u2019s experience as a coach and advisor was limited to the NCAA. Other than Manning\u2019s comments to the press about working with Daniel Jones on a mentor-level, he\u2019s given no real indication yet about whether he has interests in calling signals from the sidelines. Undeniable, however, is Manning\u2019s capability to do so. In the last couple of years, his time under the clock hasn\u2019t produced significantly fruitful statistics. But his experience, leadership, and broad library of playbook material lend themselves perfectly to a new chapter of NFL employment. And he\u2019s not the only one who might follow in the footsteps of so many coaches who were formerly NFL quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

The Gentile Gunslinger \u2013 Captain Luck<\/h3>\n

Recently retired Andrew Luck<\/a><\/strong> couldn\u2019t have been more born into football if he\u2019d been conceived in a locker room and birthed on the 50-yard line. His father Oliver Luck<\/a><\/strong>, a former college and professional quarterback, has worked as a general manager in the World League of American Football and is still in the business as the current commissioner of the XFL. An athletic scholarship to Stanford catapulted Andrew\u2019s career into the record books. After playing his entire seven-year career with the Indianapolis Colts<\/a>, he retired in August. The announcement, which occurred midway through preseason, should not have been such a surprise. Luck\u2019s love for football was never a question, but his injuries put that love to the test.<\/p>\n

Luck is known through the league for his skill on the field, and his worldliness, off. An avid reader and admirer of academia, the Captain has all the qualities of a natural leader. Whatever the future holds for luck, he will undoubtedly treat with the same commitment, positivity, and sportsmanship that he exhibited<\/a> in his NFL playing career, which would make him an incredible coach.<\/p>\n

The Ageless Veteran \u2013 Can\u2019t-Quit McCown<\/h3>\n

Josh McCown<\/a><\/strong> has probably mentored more young quarterbacks than most current players in the NFL. He has, on more than one occasion, taken to social media<\/a> to make jokes about the young men he\u2019s helped foster. The 40-year-old current backup on the Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> has already attempted to retire to pursue coaching<\/a>, but the league just couldn\u2019t let Johnny Bravo go. He\u2019s still spending time at Myers Park, where he had planned to coach his sons\u2019 high school team this fall, but it\u2019s definitely harder to manage now. Oh well. Maybe next year.<\/p>\n

McCown has made his career as a backup, and a rewarding career it has been. He\u2019s thrown 37 touchdown passes<\/a> over his nearly 17 NFL seasons. But he\u2019s always had the coaching itch in him, having previously spent time volunteering with Marvin Ridge High School. A family man with a penchant for small-town life, who\u2019s to say that McCown will bring his coaching interests to a higher level, but once his kids are grown, it wouldn\u2019t be far-fetched to see the league trying to snag him back just as they did this year.<\/p>\n

The Raging River – Fertile Phil<\/h3>\n

Coaching is in the blood of Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> quarterback Philip Rivers<\/a><\/strong>. His father, Steve, coached high school football throughout Rivers\u2019 upbringing. Now that he\u2019s in the final years of his playing career, the almost-Giants franchise quarterback that got swapped with Eli Manning must be looking to the future. He\u2019s got nine children at home \u2013 almost an entire offense \u2013 and undoubtedly at least ONE of them will get the football gene. He\u2019s already contributed to his resume coaching his son\u2019s flag football team, and as the rest of the kids get older, he\u2019s bound to have continued involvement in their intermural sports experiences.<\/p>\n

Rivers will likely enjoy some time at home trying to remember which of his kids is which after his retirement from playing. But his fatherly tendencies and lengthy playing tenure perfectly suit him for a future NFL coaching job.<\/p>\n

The Eccentric Wildcard \u2013 Jorts Minshew<\/h3>\n

The strange phenomenon that is Gardner Minshew<\/a><\/strong> II, current signal-caller of the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> in the wake of Nick Foles<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 Week 1 injury, shouldn\u2019t have been such a pleasant surprise. Minshew graduated from East Carolina in December 2017, but before electing to attend Washington State as a graduate transfer, had to reject an offer from Alabama. In Tuscaloosa, Minshew likely never would have seen the field behind the likes of Jalen Hurts<\/strong> and Tua Tagovailoa<\/strong>, which must have informed his decision. But the real draw to the Crimson Tide was the opportunity to learn beneath Nick Saban<\/strong>, who promised Minshew a job as a graduate assistant.<\/p>\n

Washington was the right move for Minshew, whose rookie stats in the past five weeks are proof that he still has MUCH to contribute as a player before embarking on a coaching career. But when the time is right, he\u2019ll most definitely bring his talents (and bizarre wardrobe) to such a role. He\u2019s already accumulated some experience as a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy. And in the unlikely instance he loses the starting job with the Jaguars when Foles returns, he\u2019ll likely commit his off-season to camps and programs throughout the country, flexing his coaching muscle.<\/p>\n

Past the Passes<\/h3>\n

Players, specifically quarterbacks, returning to the NFL for coaching careers is far from abnormal. 10\/32 current NFL head coaches are former college and professional quarterbacks.<\/a> And as the wheels of time turn, and the current gambit of leading men (who seem to be mostly either veterans or babies) begin to turn in their letters of resignation, many of them are poised to see the league through a new view. Eli Manning, certainly, is poised to play the game from the sidelines in the future, furthering the spread of post-playing experience the Manning men have offered the league.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>