Philadelphia Has Special Message for Former Giants QB Eli Manning

Because you just knew this was coming, right?

Author:
The Giants Maven News Desk
Publish date:
Jan 21, 2023 12:45 PM EST

In this story:

When quarterback Eli Manning retired from football after the 2019 season, he vowed never to set foot in Philadelphia again.

Manning, who, like the rest of his Giants teammates--and probably every other team in the NFL, for that matter, hasn't exactly enjoyed a warm and hospitable welcome from the City of Brotherly Love's football fans, is set to break that promise he made, but for a good reason: He's going to be in attendance tonight for the Giants - Eagles divisional playoff game.

"I can't wait to see the amount of double birds I get," Manning quipped on last Monday's ManningCast during the Cowboys-Bucs Wild Card game. "Could break a record."

When word of Manning's plan to attend the game reached Philadelphia, some fans took up a collection for a billboard that kicks off the anticipated record number of double birds Manning is likely to get.

The Eagles-themed billboard screams, "Welcome back to Philly, Eli," and then features two flying eagles nestled in a message that says, "We Salute You!" followed by the #gobirds hashtag.

The unflappable Manning, who was 10-21 in regular-season games and 0-2 in playoff games against the Eagles, got a kick out of the message, which he quoted on his Twitter account, adding, "That's the nicest thing you have ever said to me."