Why Belichick should call Eli Manning to replace Brady

Now that Tom Brady is reportedly leaving the New England Patriots after 19 years and 6 Super Bowl trophies, what's Bill Belichick to do?

Sure you can jump on the current quarterback carousel and grab a guy that you hope can get you another Lombardi trophy — OR you can get the guy who stole two of YOUR Lombardi trophies. You know he believes that.

If I'm Belichick, I'm placing a call to Eli Manning to see if he could change his mind when he said at his retirement "Once A Giant, Only a Giant." I'm going to see if he really wants his career to end the way it did with the Giants, sitting on the bench while totally healthy backing up Daniel Jones. I'm going to see if Eli has any interest in going out in style, playing for the best head coach in football, with a defense that can protect whatever lead he can get them, unlike the many times he left the field with the lead only to have the Giants defense blow it.

We're talking unholy alliance here. A head coach whom the Giants let walk in 1990 when he was the defensive coordinator and a quarterback whom they've moved on from this year. This quarterback, who suffered through two head coaches from hell, could rise again with the best head coach in football. Would Eli be willing to come over to the dark side? Would they stick it to both Brady and the Giants should they win? You bet they would.

Manning is younger than Brady, fresh after sitting for most of last year. In his last game with the Giants Eli completed 71.4% of his passes, going 20 for 28 for 283 yards including 2 touchdowns as the Giants snapped a 9 game losing streak beating the Dolphins. Those were the same Dolphins who beat the Patriots 27-24 in Foxboro, denying New England a first-round bye. They would lose to the Titans in Tom Brady's last home game and Brady's last pass as a Patriot was picked off for a touchdown by former Patriot Logan Ryan, thus eliminating New England.

Now Brady is leaving and Manning is retired, or is he? I watched Eli's last game against the Dolphins and listened to his interviews. This is a man who loves playing football. I don't think he's ready to quit but I never saw him getting on a quarterback carousel trying to find a new team. For Eli, it would have to be the right situation to come back and there couldn't be more of a right one than playing for Belichick in New England.

Could it happen? When you think of all the other crazy things that have been happening this year, why not?