With the 2015 National Football League season kicking off yesterday, the New York Giants are also starting something great as reports say the negotiations for an extension deal for franchise quarterback Eli Manning are having progress.
ESPN and NFL.com reported that both sides are feeling optimistic a deal could get done before the Giants begin their 2015 season against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Sept. 13.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier in the offseason that Manning wanted to sign a deal before or during training camp but that did not happen.
Manning still has one year remaining in his current deal with the Giants that will earn him $17.5 million for the 2015 season.
ESPN reported that both sides are okay working out an extension deal after the season but they would prefer to do it before they begin the season.
The pressure of having a new deal for Manning increased when his fellow quarterbacks Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and San Diego Chargers' Philip Rivers signed huge extension contracts in the offseason.
Manning's future contract will likely be patterned after Roethlisberger and Rivers' deals, with his agent citing his "additional values," according to NFL.com.
The 34-year-old quarterback certainly is worth a lot after all his feats with the Giants, which include leading the franchise to two Super Bowl victories (XLII, XLVI).
Unfortunately after their last Super Bowl in 2011, the Giants have struggled and missed the postseason for the past three years, although Manning's performance have stayed consistent.
Last season, Manning even completed a career-best 379 passes for 4,410 yards and 30 touchdowns in 16 games played.
Now, as the new season begins, the Giants will again be relying on him as they look to end their absence in the playoffs and attempt to make it to the Super Bowl.
Along with Manning, the Giants still has one more player having issues with his contract and that is defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.
Pierre-Paul recently met with the team for the first time since suffering a hand injury because of a fireworks accident last July and went back home to Florida without a new deal.
