Arch Manning, Eli's nephew, gaining buzz in New Orleans

When Eli hung up the cleats last month, the book closed on the second generation of Manning quarterbacks. Now Arch looks to make it a trilogy. Eli's nephew was named the MaxPreps National Freshman Player of the Year after starting on the varsity team this past season at the famed Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. Arch, who is the son of Cooper, the oldest son of Archie and Olivia, was recently featured in Sports Illustrated as his buzz starts to become uncontainable.

Here is an excerpt from SI's Ross Dellenger:

Nelson Stewart had it played perfectly, or so he thought. A few plays into his team's spring game last May, the coach slipped in his eighth-grade quarterback, hoping no one would notice. Stewart soon learned just how long he could keep the latest member of the sport's most fabled family under wraps.

On his very first play Arch Manning audibled at the line of scrimmage, took the snap out of the shotgun and then floated a 25-yard touchdown pass into his receiver's outstretched hands, video of which garnered more than 2 million views on ESPN's social media platforms. So much for no one noticing. "As soon as he dropped back and threw it, I knew it would exceed expectations," Stewart says. "It was crazy. That's foreshadowing."

To read the full article in Sports Illustrated, click here.

Giants rookies get high grade from NFL.com

With the NFL Scouting Combine around the corner, NFL.com looked back at last year's crop of rookies. Nick Shook and Gennaro Filice went division by division and graded the best and the worst of 2019. The Giants were part of the former, earning an A- grade.

"The Giants made the most of their haul from the Odell Beckham trade, which landed them, in part, the 17th overall pick, by selecting [Dexter] Lawrence, who had a solid rookie season," Shook wrote. "New York also might have found its franchise QB in [Daniel] Jones, answering a huge question for the team's foundation. [DeAndre] Baker had a tough start but finished strong and stands to make a significant improvement in Year 2. [Oshane] Ximines was effective in his first season despite making just two starts, recording 4.5 sacks. [Julian] Love is an exciting young player for the back end of New York's defense. Darius Slayton was an excellent find in the fifth round. [Corey] Ballentine struggled with a position change to the slot, but he could improve with more time."

Looking around the rest of the NFC East, the Washington Redskins also earned an A- from NFL.com. The Philadelphia Eagles got a B and the Dallas Cowboys received a C-.

Philip Rivers latest QB to shift NFL landscape

The Los Angeles Chargers and Philip Rivers have mutually agreed that the veteran quarterback will enter free agency and not return to the team for the 2020 season.

"After stepping back a bit from last season, we reconnected with Philip and his representatives to look at how 2019 played out, assess our future goals, evaluate the current state of the roster and see if there was a path forward that made sense for both parties," general manager Tom Telesco said. "As we talked through various scenarios, it became apparent that it would be best for Philip and the Chargers to turn the page on what has truly been a remarkable run. We agreed that making this decision well before free agency would allow everyone to put themselves in the best position for success in 2020.

"I've said before that Philip can still compete at a top-starter level and, in a perfect world, number 17 is your quarterback forever. Obviously, we live in an imperfect world where the only constant is change. I think Philip's tremendous perspective, both when it comes to football and when it comes to life, helped lend clarity to a very complex situation."

Rivers will always be tied to Manning in the historic 2004 quarterback class that also includes Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. Manning was originally the first overall draft choice by the San Diego Chargers in 2004. The Giants obtained him in a trade for Rivers (whom the Giants had taken with the fourth pick), the Giants' 2004 third-round pick and 2005 first- and fifth-round selections. Rivers is set to enter a free agency pool that includes fellow quarterbacks Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Dak Prescott, Ryan Tannehill, and Jameis Winston.

"I do feel I have some emotional fire and passion still left," Rivers told Sam Farmer of Los Angeles Times. "I know I have the passion for the game that I think is going to last my lifetime. And I think I have the ability left to go play at a high level."

Free agency dates to keep in mind:

February 25 -- First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players

March 10 -- Deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players

March 16-18 -- Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2019 player contracts at 4 p.m. ET on March 18.

March 18 -- The 2020 league year and free agency period begin at 4 p.m.