As noted over the weekend, when Eli Manning had yet to retire but all signs were clearly pointing in that direction, Eli has earned $252.3 million, more than any other player in league history. The cited article from Paul Schwartz of the New York Post explains that Eli’s brother, Peyton, has earned $247.8 million, currently second on the all-time list.
That’s a combined total of $500.1 million. Half a billion. Yes, that’s before taxes. But it doesn’t reflect the money they’ve made away from football, with Peyton still making plenty for endorsements nearly four years after his own retirement.
So the question for Eli will become what it’s been for Peyton since he walked away: What’s next? Considering how much money they’ve earned, it’s hard not to think they’ll eventually try to buy a team.
Whatever they’ve earned together over the past 20 years, they likely fall far short of having the kind of cash and holdings necessary to purchase majority interest in an NFL franchise. The majority owner needs to be able to write a check for a significant percentage of the purchase price, and the majority owner needs to have the money to finance the operations.
The more likely scenario continues to be Peyton (possibly with Eli) becoming a minority owner and having an active role in the management of the team, with the majority owner staying in the background and letting Peyton basically run the show.