Eli Manning is a Swim Dad.

He volunteers as his oldest daughter, Ava, competes in the pool. Manning serves as a timer, and word is he takes it seriously. He shows up at the meet on time, gets his stopwatch, finds his assigned lane and meticulously completes his assigned task in a manner befitting one of the most responsible and dedicated players in Giants history.

Manning also helps coach Ava’s youth basketball team and jokes that the parents can be more of a handful than the media he dealt with for 16 years as an NFL quarterback.

The grind is behind him. Eli Manning can now be a suburban New Jersey Gentleman Farmer, doting on his wife and four children, starting a new and more leisurely chapter of his life, at 39 years old. There is no compelling reason for him to don a helmet ever again, and all signs indicate he is headed for a quiet and deserved retirement.

Manning made it abundantly clear he felt awkward and found it unenjoyable to be a backup this past season, even as he helped rookie Daniel Jones all he could. Manning has no desire to return to that role, and, truth be told, the Giants do not really believe that would be a great idea, anyway. This is a new beginning, with a new head coach, Joe Judge, who is 363 days younger than Manning.

Manning has no desire to get into coaching. His zeal had everything to do with his identity as a starting quarterback — the physical work, the mental preparation, the camaraderie with his teammates, the game-plan minutiae with the offensive staff. Lord knows he does not need to stay in the game for the money — he earned $252.3 million in his career, the most ever for an NFL player, just ahead of older brother Peyton ($248.7 million). If Drew Brees ($244.7 million) or Tom Brady (235.2 million) play in 2020, they will surpass Eli, who probably will not even notice and definitely will not care.

Not long ago, Manning sat with John Mara for what the Giants co-owner called “a nice, long talk’’ at the team facility, which is like a second home to Manning.

“I don’t think he’s fully decided yet what he wants to do,’’ Mara said. “And I’ve told him just take his time, think about it some more and then come back and see me again.’’

No one is holding anyone up here. Manning does not have a contract for 2020, and the Giants are not saving a place for him within their salary cap. They will need to sign a new backup quarterback, and whoever it is will command a fraction of what Manning cost ($23.2 million) on the 2019 cap.

Manning never wants it to be about him, which is why timing is important to consider here. It is not his style to usurp the spotlight, and the NFL certainly is front and center now through Super Bowl LIV. Manning is expected to be in Miami for some promotional appearances, as a two-time Super Bowl MVP and as the recipient of the Bart Starr Award for exemplary character on the field and off. It would very much be against his nature to make an announcement in the days leading up to the big game.

Manning knows the story is often about him but not because of anything he does to claim the attention. Anyone who watched him up close the past 16 years knows how much he detests distractions. He will not make himself a distraction to the game on the field.

“I’ll support Eli whatever he wants to do,’’ said Archie Manning, Eli’s father. “He’s pretty good at thinking through things. He’ll do what’s right and he’ll do what’s best.’’

Those closest to Eli think the time is right for him to get out. He is healthy, remarkably so. Manning never considered what he would look like in a different uniform and often voiced his strong desire to spend his entire career with the Giants, a franchise he truly loves. When he looks at the NFL landscape, he will not find a team out there willing to hand him a starting job. The outside interest will be nebulous, at best, and Eli Manning will not go hat-in-hand to find his next paycheck. Things can change, but probably will not.

There was a sense around him as the season wound down that he realized this was his last go-round. Eli is usually the sharpest guy in the room, and he will not be the last to know when his time is up. He will, however, be the first to know when the time is right to exit the stage.

For more on the Giants, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast: