Eli Manning on Son Charlie Being 'the Biggest' Jaxson Dart Fan: He's 'Got Posters All Over His Room' (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Eli Manning is opening up about his relationship with current New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart
• While speaking to PEOPLE at Media Row in San Francisco during Super Bowl 2026 week, Manning shared how their connection began years ago
• Manning adds that the friendship has since moved off the field — including with his 7-year-old son, Charlie

Even though Eli Manning's son has New York Giants legend at home, the 8-year-old is more interested in the team's current quarterback, Jaxson Dart.

While speaking exclusively to PEOPLE's Janine Rubenstein at Media Row in San Francisco, Calif., during Super Bowl 2026 week as part of his partnership with King’s Hawaiian, the retired NFL star, 45, shared that his connection with Dart goes back years, long before the athlete landed in New York.

“I see Jaxson all the time and I've known him since he was at college at Ole Miss, watched him play there, had a great friendship and connection with him,” Eli says on Friday, Feb. 5.

“So when he came to the Giants I told him, ‘Hey, if you have any questions about anything — football related, living in the North East, anything at all — I'm a phone call away, I'm a text away,' " he continues. " 'I'm never going to bother you, I'm never going to give you advice you don't want.’ ”

Eli, of course, won two Super Bowls with the Giants as the team's quarterback.

That support, Eli adds, has naturally moved off the field — including at home.

He says his son, Charlie, is "the biggest Jaxson Dart fan."

“He dressed up as Jaxson Dart for Halloween, he had the chain on, so he's got posters all over the room.”

The admiration clearly goes both ways. Eli says a recent run-in turned into a moment he knew his son wouldn’t forget. Eli tells PEOPLE he caught up with Dart, where the two snapped a photo together

“I saw him last night and we had to take a picture so I could send Charlie and he could see that I was here with his boy Jaxson," says Eli.

Back in October 2025, the former quarterback first revealed his son's Halloween costume choice during an episode of ManningCast, which he co-hosts with his brother Peyton Manning.

In classic big-brother fashion, Peyton didn’t miss the chance to poke fun.

"Does it hurt? Does it hurt that he's picking another Giants quarterback over you?" Peyton, who played for the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 to 2011 and the Denver Broncos from 2012 to 2015, asked his brother.

"It hurts a little bit," admitted Eli, who played his entire 16-year NFL career with the Giants.

Read the original article on People