Where Will Eli Manning Be in 2019? Retirement Is Most Likely Option per Oddsmakers

Last season, in one of the last moves by former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo before he got fired, Eli Manning was benched for Geno Smith in a controversial maneuver. The G-Men were 2-10 at the time, but it was tough to put all the blame on Manning because their offensive weapons had so many injuries.

Well, six games into the 2018 season, the Giants are 1-5 and we've already had a Smith sighting.

It hasn't been entirely Eli's fault. His 90.9 quarterback rating is higher than it's been over the past two seasons and nearly 10 points higher than his career figure of 83.7. Other than those Super Bowls wins, he's really just not that good of a quarterback, if we're being honest.

Nevertheless, one book has posted odds on where Manning will be for Week 1 of the 2019 season, which is never a good sign.

Generally speaking, you don't want to have a prop such as this one on your name if you're a professional athlete.

In Eli's case, hanging up the spikes is the most likely option at +141:

These odds represent a 41.5% implied probability of retirement, but staying on the Giants is not that far behind at +152 — a 39.7% implied probability.

Manning will turn 38 years old in January, and if the Giants once again turn in a subpar season, they might want to move on from him. But that's easier said than done in a league where good QBs are few and far between.

Right now, some folks are calling for 2018 fourth-round pick Kyle Lauletta to get a look at some point this season.

Of course, if the Giants continue playing this poorly, they'll end up with another top-five draft pick that they could use on a quarterback, but could they still want a veteran presence such as Manning taking a rookie under his wing for a year?

Next year's free agent class has slim pickings at QB, but it might make more sense to sign a cheap veteran and cut Eli loose while the Giants groom a youngster for a season or two.