NFL analyst offers intracity comparison between Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning ahead of 2023 season
Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning shared the spotlight for the majority of both careers. Now in 2023, it certainly has been a minute since the New York Giants quarterback left the franchise.
While speaking on "Good Morning Football," NFL analyst Mike Garafolo brought up the retired Manning brother to compare to where Rodgers is in his career. Here's how he put it:
"He's got complete control of everything. So for Nathaniel Hackett to say that, yes, Aaron Rodgers will have his input and certainly had more input as he went along in Green Bay. I go back to when Ben McAdoo took over the Giants and Eli Manning had to learn everything all over again."
He continued, explaining that while Matt LaFleur got the luxury of forcing his quarterback to relearn his responsibilities, Nathaniel Hackett and Robert Saleh do not:
"I talked to him about having to relearn and reposition at this point of his career and [if] that was a good point of his career to relearn things. That's not the point that we're at with Aaron here... when Matt LaFleur came in [and] it was time for him to relearn things. Now we've got to hit the ground running as fast as we possibly can."
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How long did Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers' careers overlap?
Eli Manning was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2004 NFL draft. His final game was played at the end of the 2019 season. He didn't sit and watch a veteran as many quarterbacks do. Instead, he was thrust into the fire immediately.
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The Packers quarterback was selected with the 24th overall pick of the 2005 NFL draft and, of course, is still playing today. Unlike Manning, he sat for three full seasons, with the exception of a brief sighting here or there.
At the end of the day, Manning and the Packers quarterback both held starting roles from 2008 until 2019. If one goes by mere employment, from 2005 until 2019, both shared a place in the league. In that time, Eli Manning won two Super Bowls while the Packers won one.
At this point, Aaron Rodgers is chasing Eli Manning in that category. Will the Jets quarterback bring another championship to the city, albeit for another team?