The New York Giants were smart to explore whether they could bring their Super Bowl-winning quarterback back into the fold, in any capacity.
Eli Manning's heroics for the franchise have made him a legend in the Big Apple. Two Super Bowl victories over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots only enhance Manning's legacy with the franchise.
Since his retirement, though, the Giants have fallen on hard times.
Injuries, poor offensive line play, and inconsistent quarterback production were common during Manning's final years with the organization. These problems have only gotten worse since 2019.
Recently, Manning has been looking for ways to remain involved with the organization. One way to do that was to potentially buy a share of the club.
This week, though, Manning balked at that idea.
"Basically, it's too expensive for me," Manning told CNBC Sports. "These numbers are getting very big. ... A one-percent stake of something valued at $10 billion -- it turns into a very big number.
"I love the Giants, and I think it is deserving of that valuation. There will be people that want to go for it, and I was kind of along for the ride."
We can use Eli's number. If the Giants are really worth $10 billion, that's $100 million for a piece of the action.
Forbes has listed the Giants franchise with a valuation of over $7 billion. A one-percent stake in the club would be valued at over $70 million. Fox Business has Manning's career earnings at over $250 million, three times the valuation of a potential minority purchase.
Could Manning buy that minor piece of the Giants? Sure.
But the quarterback doesn't want to give up a third of those career earnings.
And, while we can barely count that high, to us, it's hard to argue with that logic.