Eli Manning is one rich man

Eli Manning is nearly a 100 million dollar man, after agreeing to a new six year, 97.5 million dollar contract extension with the New York Giants on Wednesday making him among the highest paid players in the NFL.

Manning is guaranteed 35 million dollars under the new deal, and will remain with the Giants through the 2015 season. He will be racking in $15.285 million annually making him the 3rd highest player per year, only behind Carson Palmer ($16.116 million annually) and Julius Peppers ($16.683 million annually).

First off I would like to state I am a Giants fan, and a big Eli Manning fan. This summer I am working at Giants training camp and get to be up close with Eli daily. Now back to the contract, Manning is a franchise quarterback, a gamer and a good teammate, but he should not be one of the highest players in the game.

Yes he won a Superbowl and hes broken many Giants franchise records. However, he only has a 76.1 passer rating for his career and already 74 interceptions, just 24 less than his 98 TD's. In comparison to his brother Peyton (making $14 million annually) who in a longer career, has a td:int ratio of 333-165 and a 94.7 quarterback rating.

When looking at Eli's career he has always had the potential, and even at the level he is at now deserves to be in the top 10 quarterbacks in this league. However, when thinking of Eli Manning, one thing that is always questioned is his ability to be a leader. He has a very mellow personality, and does not seem to be very outspoken.

Though, one thing no one will ever forget is the run he lead the Giants on in 2007, especially the very last drive of Superbowl 42. This is where the leadership we were all looking for finally shined. The difference is during that run he had Plaxico Burress.

Without Plaxico last year, Eli completely faltered along with the New York Giants. Without Plaxico the Giants went 2-4 (10-1 to that point), including two loses, one in the playoffs, against the Eagles. Manning completed just one touchdown pass to a wide receiver in that entire span of time.

This year will be the true test for the much richer Manning. He must prove hes worth the contract, so many think he is not. He will have to put the team on his shoulders with no top notch receivers. It's his time to prove to all of his,he is worth his contract.

All in all, Eli Manning was over payed yes, but the truth is if you had to pick a quarterback to start your franchise with, Eli would be one of the first picks. He has the talent to be at the level his contract puts him at, it's just a matter of if he can live up to his potential.