Eli Manning denies wanting to become top-paid player in the NFL

For months now, Eli Manning and the New York Giants have been going back and forth on a potential contract extension with little progress being made. The reason for the impasse could be because the two-time Super Bowl champion is looking to become the highest-paid player in the NFL. That desire has created a "significant gap" between the two sides, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

Manning, though, vehemently denied the reports that he's looking for the league's biggest deal.

"The reports are all wrong," he told the New York Daily News Wednesday. "I don't know where they're getting their information from. So I just kind of laugh at it."

Manning's current deal -- the six-year, $97.5 million one he signed in August 2009 -- expires following the 2015 season, which means the quarterback is only under contract for one more year. This season Manning will earn a base salary of $17 million. To become the highest-paid player in the league that amount would have to jump past $22 million, which is about how much Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earns per year.

Manning is also looking for more than $60 million in guaranteed money, according to the New York Daily News. That number would be less than the $65 million guaranteed that Philip Rivers just got -- now the highest number in the league -- but right in line with Russell Wilson ($61.5 mil), Colin Kaepernick ($61 mil) and Cam Newton ($60 mil).

If he were to sign a new deal, Manning would become the latest in a long line of major extensions for quarterbacks this offseason, a list that includes Wilson, Newton, Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Ryan Tannehill.

Below is a breakdown of all the high-profile signal callers that have recently inked new deals.

Manning, now 34 and entering his 11th season in the NFL, would reportedly like to top all those deals. If the Giants were to use the franchise tag on Manning, he'd make around $25 million next season. As ESPN's Dan Graziano points out, though, it's inevitable that the two sides will eventually come to terms on a deal.

After struggling in 2013 with a quarterback rating of 69.4 and a league-high 27 interceptions, Manning bounced back last season and, statistically, had one of the better years of his career. He completed a career-high 63.1 percent of his passes and threw for 4,410 yards, 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Manning also produced a quarterback rating of 92.1.

The advanced stats reflected positively on Manning's 2014 season, as well. His 70.9 QBR was eighth-best in the league and he was 11th in Football Outsiders' Defensive Yards Above Replacement number.

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