By any NFL standard, Eli Manning is getting old. Just don't tell that to the New York Giants' 37-year-old quarterback.
"Thirty-seven is not old," he said Wednesday, via the New York Daily News. "I think 37 is young, so it's all perspective."
Manning's comment came after new Giants coach Pat Shurmur called the QB the fittest 37-year-old he's ever seen.
While we don't believe he's doing TB12 (#pliability), Manning clearly has a regimen to keep him in shape as he nears 40.
"I feel good," Manning said. "I'm moving around well. I'm always working on my flexibility and my conditioning and offseason lifting and everything, so I haven't relaxed on that in any sense. I know I need that to kind of keep up with those other guys, but I feel good in that sense and I have to keep it that way."
Manning may be fit for 37, but his play has dipped the past two years. Eli's decline could lead the Giants to select a quarterback at No. 2 overall in Thursday night's draft to be his eventual replacement. Big Blue could also decide to draft a player like running back Saquon Barkley to prop up the quarterback. Either way, the Giants appear ready to ride Manning at least one more year.
The aging quarterback said he's spent the offseason analyzing film of his own play and knows he needs to improve his footwork heading into his 15th NFL season.
"Most of the work is on just getting my feet moving fast," he said. "Just keep my fast twitch movements in line with where they need to be. As you get older, those can decrease, so just work hard on working on my fast twitch movements."
Quicker feet certainly can't hurt an aging quarterback who has struggled to complete passes behind a previously disastrous offensive line. More than anything, buttressing Manning with an improved offensive line and playmakers could help prolong the 37-year-old's career.
