Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he supports athletes who take political stances, but warned they should be prepared to face potential criticism if they do.
The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback spoke to CNBC Sport about political activism in sports after the Giants’ current signal caller, Jaxson Dart, came under scrutiny for introducing President Donald Trump at a rally outside of New York City. His decision to publicly back Trump sparked backlash, including public criticism from his teammate Abdul Carter.
“Athletes should be allowed to do it if they feel strong about politics or supporting someone, that’s fine,” Manning told CNBC. “You just have to understand that there’s going to be teammates, fans and people that are going to think different about that.”
The 23-year-old quarterback had so many reactions to the move he later disabled comments on his Instagram account. He later addressed his Giants teammates about his decision to appear at the rally, according to reports.
“I love every single one of my teammates regardless of politics,” he said in a statement Friday.
Manning said the political differences could be a way to bridge new conversations and understanding among teammates.
“Hopefully it doesn’t create friction and a divide amongst the team, hopefully it creates great conversation and brings a team together,” he added. “You might not agree with everybody and their beliefs, or what their, what they believe in, but you can still work together and trust each other and compete together and try to do your craft and your job at a high level together.”
Manning said he did not publicly address politics during his own playing career, a decision that in part contributed to him and his brother Peyton becoming pitchmen for a number of high-profile brands including DirectTV, Nationwide, Corona, and Pepsi.
“It wasn’t something I was super passionate about in the first place, so it’s just easier to stay out of it,” he said.
