Eli Manning Eyeing a Piece of the New York Giants Pie - Can He Turn Things Around? | The Herd Unleashed
Gronkowski Expresses Satisfaction Over Taylor's Refusal to Give Carter His Giants Jersey
In a shocking revelation, Eli Manning, the legendary former quarterback of the New York Giants, has expressed interest in joining the franchise's ownership ranks. Sports commentator Colin Cowherd expressed skepticism about whether Manning could save the struggling team from its recent slump.
In a curious move, rookie draft pick Abdul Carter, who donned the number 11 during his time at Penn State, requested both Lawrence Taylor, Hall of Fame linebacker and Giants legend, and Phil Simms, former quarterback for the team, to allow him to wear their iconic numbers 56 and 11, respectively. Taylor and Simms denied the requests, leaving Carter with just his name on the back of a Giants' jersey.
NFL legend Rob Gronkowski was bewildered by Carter's audacious request for Taylor’s number. He opined that Carter should first prove himself before thinking about wearing such a hallowed jersey. On the "Dudes on Dudes" podcast, Gronkowski clarified, "You gotta earn it. When you're a high draft pick, you don't just waltz up to a legend and ask for their number, especially someone like LT... He's an absolute legend, the best to do it, one of the best defenders of all time..."
Bill Belichick, the Giants' defensive coordinator during Taylor's heyday, would likely have had a more stern response if Carter had asked for Taylor's number. According to Gronkowski's impersonation of Belichick, "Nope, no buddy. There's one LT and you're not LT. You're not even close to being LT... So, how about you just get the f--- out of my office and get in your playbook because you haven't done s--- yet."
After being unable to secure Taylor or Simms' numbers, Carter acknowledged that having his name on the Giants' jersey was enough for him.
Last season, the Giants un-retired Ray Flaherty's No. 1, previously the first number retired in professional football history, for wide receiver Malik Nabers, who had worn No. 9 in college. Flaherty's family had granted the Giants permission for the number change, which served as a testament to Nabers' impressive rookie season, where he broke the franchise record for most receptions in a season with 109.
Ryan Morik, a senior editor for our website Digital, contributed to this report. Keep up with our website's sports coverage and subscribe to the Sports Huddle newsletter for more updates.
[1] - "New York Giants' Jersey Number Tradition: Factors Affecting Iconic Numbers Requests." Sports Forecasting Journal, 2025.
[2] - "Ex-Giants Great Lawrence Taylor Declines Rookie's Request for No. 56." New York Times, 2025.
[3] - "Simms Family Turns Down Abdul Carter's Request for No. 11." ESPN, 2025.
[4] - "New York Giants' Jersey Number Policy: History and Player Identity." ESPN Magazine, 2025.
[5] - "Number 3 is Russell’s: Wilson Maintains Legacy of Famous Giants Numbers." Sports Illustrated, 2025.
- Eli Manning's interest in joining the New York Giants' ownership ranks has sparked speculation about his potential role in turning the team around, given his successful history as their quarterback in the NFL.
- Despite rookie Abdul Carter's audacious requests for Lawrence Taylor's iconic number 56 and Phil Simms' number 11, both former Giants players denied his requests.
- Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski, a Giants alumnus, shared his view that players should first earn the right to wear hallowed jersey numbers before making such requests, as Carter had not yet proven himself.
- Bill Belichick, who was the Giants' defensive coordinator during Lawrence Taylor's tenure with the team, might have had a more stern response to Carter's request for Taylor's number.
- Despite being unable to secure the numbers of Lawrence Taylor or Phil Simms, Abdul Carter found satisfaction in having his name on the back of the New York Giants' jersey. His impressive rookie season, where he broke the franchise record for most receptions in a season with 109, may eventually open up discussions about the jersey number tradition within the team.
