Reese: Giants must find next QB with Manning on 'back nine' of career
The New York Giants have some of the best young building blocks in the NFL, highlighted by wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and safety Landon Collins, who are 24 and 23 years old, respectively.
Add in impressive rookies Sterling Shepard (23), Paul Perkins (22), and Eli Apple (21), along with relatively young veterans like defensive end Olivier Vernon (26) and Janoris Jenkins (28), and the Giants' future looks bright.
One problem: New York's oldest player happens to play the league's most important position, and general manager Jerry Reese admitted the team must begin its search for Eli Manning's successor soon.
"We always think about every position, but Eli is 36," Reese conceded in Monday's season-ending press conference, according to Seth Walder of The New York Daily News. "We have started to think about who's the next quarterback, who's in line. So we'll look into that as we move through the offseason."
While the Giants are far from moving on from Manning - despite a down season for the veteran pivot - Reese seems to understand his team's window with Manning under center is closing.
"Thirty-six, I don't think that's ancient for a quarterback," Reese continued. "I think he's probably on the back nine, but I don't think that's ancient for a quarterback."
The Giants' blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday emphasized the offense's struggles this season.
Manning was let down by his wide receivers, who struggled all game long to catch the ball, but the two-time Super Bowl winner failed to elevate the unit the way he's done for years.
New York failed to score 20 points for a sixth consecutive game, and Reese described the dramatic regression as a "mystery."