Cris Collinsworth’s words came back to haunt him Monday night.
Before the Bengals clinched a 27-20 win over the Cowboys on “Monday Night Football,” Collinsworth appeared on ESPN’s “ManningCast” and was called out by Eli Manning over previous comments made about the former Giants quarterback’s athleticism — or, in the “Sunday Night Football” commentator’s opinion, a lack thereof.
Monday’s “ManningCast” re-aired a snippet of a 2013 clash between Dallas and the Giants that Collinsworth called in which he zeroed in on the not-so-flattering remarks centered on the two-time Super Bowl winner.
“The defenders for the Cowboys are so frustrated at their inability to get to Eli Manning. Over the years, he has escaped and made more plays for a guy who really is not that athletic,” Collinsworth said at the time, which elicited an “oh, jeez” from the Collinsworth of present.
Eli, 43, took a beat before putting Collinsworth, 65, on the spot as his older brother and co-host, Peyton Manning, laughed at the scene unfolding.
“Cris, that was you announcing one of my games where you called me quote, ‘a guy that is not that athletic.’ I guess I gotta ask, Cris, before you called my games, did you not watch any of the film? Did NBC not have any researchers? I mean, what the heck there?” Eli said, as covered by Awful Announcing.
Collinsworth, who has been in the booth for NBC since 2009, then tried to recover.
“Since the whole Mario Manningham throw in the cover two hole there to win the Super Bowl championship that I have completely reversed my position on your athleticism. I have never seen a throw simply that was better than that,” Collinsworth said.
The catch Collinsworth was referring to was Eli’s deep ball to wide receiver Manningham in the Giants’ eventual 21-17 win over the Patriots in their Super Bowl rematch in February 2012.
Though Collinsworth’s ribbing was from more than a decade ago, some sports media personalities trolled the pass-first quarterback back in September when his nephew, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, rushed for a touchdown against UTSA.
“Mannings aren’t supposed to move like this,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter quipped on X.
Robert Griffin III wrote at the time, “Arch Manning got EVERY OUNCE of Manning athleticism in the UNIVERSE and some. He a brother from a different mother.”
Eli spent his entire NFL career with the Giants and retired in January 2020 after 16 seasons.
