Aug 19, 2015 4 min read

Eli Manning didn’t ask the New York Giants to make him the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback.

A perplexed and slightly miffed Manning shot down a report he wants to be the league’s top-paid quarterback, insisting that was not the goal in contract talks.

“Never been said, never come out of my mouth,” Manning said Wednesday.

The two-time Super Bowl MVP is in the final year of a contract that will pay him a $17 million base salary. His agent, Tom Condon, is negotiating a new deal, but the two sides are not close to an agreement, Giants co-owner John Mara said Monday.

Manning insisted neither he nor Condon told the Giants to make him the highest-paid quarterback. He said he speaks with Condon occasionally, but he isn’t looking for constant updates on the talks.

“If something comes up, I ask him to call me and keep me updated or send me a text, but that’s it,” Manning said.

Aaron Rodgers of the Packers currently is the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, earning $22 million annually.

The 34-year-old Manning has spent all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Giants, so he knows how people in the New York-area react to headlines.

For those who know him, it’s totally out of character to make such a demand.

Manning even received a telephone message from his father asking what was happening.

“I don’t know how all negotiating goes and what is being asked,” Manning said. “I don’t think I want to know. That was never said by him, claiming that this is the goal of what we are trying to do.”

Flynn ready for new team: Matt Flynn has been a well-traveled quarterback during an NFL career that has taken him all over the country.

Next stop: the New York Jets.

“Yeah, sometimes I have to look at the map app on the phone to figure it out,” Flynn joked Wednesday when asked if he ever gets confused as to where he is.

The Jets signed Flynn to a one-year deal, bringing in the veteran quarterback to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick, who’s now the starter with Geno Smith sidelined six to 10 weeks with a broken jaw.

New York is the seventh NFL stop for the 30-year-old Flynn, who has also been with Green Bay (twice), Seattle, Oakland, Buffalo and New England.

“I’m happy to be here,” said Flynn, his hair pulled back and in a man bun. “I’m happy for the opportunity, and now I’m just trying to get acclimated. It’s kind of been a whirlwind the last couple of days.”

Carolina’s Benjamin tears ACL: Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin has torn the ACL in his left knee, an injury that will sideline him for the season.

It’s a major blow to the Panthers in their quest to win a third straight NFC South championship.

Benjamin had developed into Carolina’s No. 1 receiver after setting franchise rookie records in 2014 with 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns.

Arizona signs Chris Johnson: Probably no Arizona Cardinals player understands the importance of a successful running game better than quarterback Carson Palmer does.

Palmer’s big play-action shots downfield won’t work if the defense doesn’t have to worry about the run, and the Cardinals’ average of 3.3 yards per carry last season ranked dead last in the league.

So Palmer more than welcomed the signing this week of running back Chris Johnson.