Eli Manning Plans to Play 'As Long as I Can Hang with These Guys'

Eli Manning may be on the back end of his career, but the 38-year-old New York Giants quarterback is not itching to join his brother, Peyton Manning, in retirement.

"I'm not rushing into retirement, and Peyton's not telling me to rush into it," Eli said, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com. "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."

He noted that while he may not be able to keep up with some of his teammates' off-field lifestyles, he still feels plenty capable of competing on the field.

While the New England Patriots' Tom Brady and the New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees have each mentioned the possibility of playing until 45—or beyond—in the past, Manning is focused on the present.

"You take it year by year," Manning said, per Walker. "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."

Of course, Manning may not have the same type of job security as Brady or Brees.

Although Manning has delivered a pair of Super Bowl championships to New York in his 15-year career, the Giants have made the playoffs just once in the past seven seasons. Their last postseason victory came during their second Super Bowl run in 2012.

There has been plenty of blame to go around in the Big Apple through the years, with Manning recently facing scrutiny. Manning completed 66.0 percent of his passes for 4,299 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season, but those numbers translated into just five victories.

And with an aging Manning entering the final year of his contract, the Giants opted to use the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft on former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones.

Manning is now officially on notice with his potential successor in the building. Then again, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reported in March that the Giants "won't hesitate" to extend Manning's contract depending on how the 2019 season plays out.

For now, his focus is on the upcoming season.

"We've been aggressive in the offseason and made some change," Manning said, according to Walker. "We brought in some new linemen, brought in (receiver) 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."