Giants

Eli Manning Looking To Top Aaron Rodgers & Become Highest Paid Player

August 17, 2015

Update:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Giants QB Eli Manning wants to be the highest paid player in the NFL and Aaron Rodgers‘ contract.

Rodgers, 31, is in the third year of his seven-year, $130.75 million contract that included $54 million guaranteed.

Rodgers is tops in terms of annual salary at $22 million per year, but a number of quarterbacks have surpassed him in total guarantees including Philip Rivers ($65M), Russell Wilson ($61.5M), Cam Newton ($60M), and Tony Romo ($55M).

We’ll have more regarding contract talks between Manning and the Giants as the news is available.

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Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, citing sources familiar with the talks, reports that there is a “significant gap” between the Giants and QB Eli Manning‘s representatives regarding a long-term contract extension.

While there’s really no rush to get a deal in place, Vacchiano mentions that most people felt that negotiations would be much further along than they currently are.

Vacchiano considers the “significant gap” between the two parties to be “bizarre” given that the recent contracts signed by veteran quarterbacks has set the bar for his next deal.

This past weekend, Chargers QB Philip Rivers walked away with a four-year contract extension worth a reported $83.25 million and an NFL-high $65 million guaranteed.

The Giants are unlikely to get a big discount from Manning, so it seems likely that he’ll be the next quarterback to be making around $20 million per year.

Giants owner John Mara mentioned a few months back that they plan to go through the motions with this negotiation, but he eventually expects to have a deal in place.

“We’re just going through the usual things that you go through.” Mara said. “The agent asks for the moon, we make a reasonable offer, and at some point he’ll come to his senses and we’ll reach an agreement.”

Manning, 34, has one year remaining on his seven-year, $106.9 million contract that included $35 million guaranteed. His base salary for the 2015 season sits at $17 million to go along with a staggering cap figure of $19.75 million.

In 2014, Manning threw for 4,410 yards while completing 63.1 percent of his passes to go along with 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 18 quarterback out of 39 qualifying players.