"I don't root for teams any more": Eli Manning keeps his Super Bowl loyalty under wraps in Chiefs-Eagles clash

Ahead of the Chiefs vs. Eagles clash in the Super LIX, former NFL star Eli Manning is taking a neutral stance. Taking to the Up & Adams podcast with Kay Adams, Manning, who led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories, revealed that his loyalty now lies not with teams. Instead, he supports players individually, who he has come to know and respect over the years.

"I root for players. I don't root for teams any more. Obviously, I root for the Giants and everything. You root for the guys that are good guys. They work hard and what it would mean to them," Manning said.

Eli Manning has strong ties to both teams in the Super Bowl. He’s especially close to Eagles star, Saquon Barkley, his former teammate with the New York Giants.

Manning remembered meeting quarterback Jalen Hurts, who trained at Manning’s “Passing Academy” and appeared on his show. Manning respects both Hurts and Barkley for their hard work and determination.

It seems like while the Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes is targeting a third straight Super Bowl win, Manning is cheering for his friends.

Talking about the Eli-Saquon connection, they were teammates while playing with the New York Giants for two seasons (2018, 2019). Manning retired after the 2019 season.

Meanwhile, Barkley continued with the New York Giants for a few more years before joining the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent ahead of the 2024 season.

Eli Manning predicted Super Bowl LIX contenders leaving out the Kansas City Chiefs

At the onset of January 2025, Eli Manning made a bold prediction. He picked the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills to clash in the Super Bowl and the Kansas City Chiefs were nowhere in sight.

So much so that Manning claimed the Chiefs to be underdogs this year.

"I feel like for the first time the team with the bye and the favorite who had the best season is the underdog in the Chiefs," he said. "No one's expecting them to have a three-peat. I think they've played so many close games that I feel like everybody is underestimating them a little bit."

Ironically, both teams have been eliminated and the Chiefs have made it to the Super Bowl.