Eli Manning explains why the Giants never let him take the subway: ‘It was in my contract’

Eli Manning stunned Giants fans last week when he revealed he had only just now taken his first subway ride, despite spending his entire 16-year NFL career playing in New York. 

On Monday night, the Giants great had a pretty good reason why he never opted for that form of transportation. 

During Monday night’s broadcast of the "ManningCast," Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning began teasing his brother about the fact that he never braved the subways despite his tenure in New York.  

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"Eli, this was very shocking to me, I thought you were a man of the people," he quipped. "You’ve lived there since 2004. First time riding the Subway? Disappointed." 

Eli first pointed out the obvious that, despite the name, the Giants play at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

"I am a man of the people. I live in New Jersey. I’m not in the city that often. I was in the city last week. I had to get from uptown to downtown – I hopped on the subway. I’m a man of the people." 

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He also pointed out that it was a business decision. 

"It was in my contract when I was playing, I wasn’t allowed to ride the subway. I could get pushed in front of a train." 

NFL contracts unsparingly bar players from participating in activities outside of football that could risk injury. According to an ESPN report from June, those activities range from high-risk, like rock climbing and skiing, to other sports, like playing basketball. 

In 2023, former Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines was injured during the offseason in a freak jet ski accident. He missed the entire season after he tore his left ACL and MCL, and the Bills were off the hook for his contract. According to EPN, they eventually reached an agreement, and he was released in March.  

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