Eli just became the highest-paid bench warmer in NFL history – for all the wrong reasons. Amid the worst season in Giants history, former coach Ben McAdoo and former general manager Jerry Reese attempted to shift the blame onto Eli, but only made the already-grim situation worse. How they lied to the entire Giant fan-base is just disgusting. Eli Manning deserved better than what he got from the Giants.

Sure, Eli’s 210-game-streak of starting was broken, but that wasn’t the real problem here. The real problem was how Eli’s 13 years of loyalty and production for the Giants franchise was just completely ignored and disrespected. The 210 streak was more than just a number. It was 210 games of Eli going onto the field, leading the team, taking sacks, and winning Super Bowls; 210 games of playing through pain and grinding out wins for the Giants; 210 games of Eli being the preeminent sports icon of New York. All of that hard work and loyalty was just thrown out the window by a desperate coach and general manager trying to save their own reputations.

The best quarterback in Giants history had to suffer the indignity of watching Geno Smith, one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, from the bench. Eli is no stranger to controversy, though. He came to the Giants through a convoluted draft-day trade in 2004 and has been the calming force to Odell Beckham Jr.’s fiery personality. It’s a tough way to end the season (as Eli’s contract runs out in 2 seasons) with a new front office coming in that will want their own quarterback. Eli gave everything he had to the Giants until they no longer let him. While he has expressed a desire to remain with the Giants for the rest of his career, it no longer seems realistic. Whether or not he is playing for another NFL team next year, Eli deserved better. His selflessness throughout his whole career cannot be understated, and his support of his teammates even through his benching just proves that he is the better man in the end. The Giants don’t deserve Eli Manning.