What’s in a Name?

Plenty. Eli Manning has the premier name in quarterbacking. It is his name, “Manning,” that might turn out to be his best asset and his worst enemy.

Eli Manning was a solid quarterback on a weak Ole Miss team, and by virtue of his name and a solid senior year, was drafted number one overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. Eli, with the aid of his father, NFL legend Archie Manning, was able to orchestrate a trade away from the San Diego Chargers, who owned the number one pick, to the New York Giants. If Eli were not a “Manning” - Archie’s son and MVP Payton’s brother - he would not have been drafted first overall or been able to insist on a blockbuster trade.

After nearly four years in the NFL, Eli Manning has turned out to be a middle-of-the-road quarterback. His career 55% completion percentage, 71 TDs and 61 INTs are less than spectacular, especially for the number one overall selection. Manning is currently the 24th ranked quarterback in the NFL after finishing the 2006 season as the 18th highest rated quarterback. Eli’s 74 QB rating, 17 TDs and 17 INTs during this his fourth season is particularly unimpressive for a quarterback who has started 51 games and should be improving and showing more consistency.

While other quarterbacks selected number one overall have fared worse - Alex Smith (2005), David Carr (2002), Tim Couch (1999) - Manning is certainly not what the Giants thought they were getting when they traded for him in 2004. His on-field performance has been up and down and he has shown very few of the leadership and intangible qualities that top quarterbacks display.

If his name were anything other than “Manning,” Eli would be recognized as a decent but inconsistent quarterback - at times showing signs of brilliance while at times making bad mistakes - and would not have the spotlight shining so brightly on him.