New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will be in a very unfamiliar spot on Sunday. It was recently announced that Manning will no longer be the starting quarterback and has been replaced by Daniel Jones, a rookie from Duke. Manning, a two-time Super Bowl winner, spoke to the media on Wednesday and wanted to let everyone know he’s going to be okay.
“Again, I’m not dying, and the season’s not over,” he said via NFL.com. “There’s a lot to be positive about. A lot to be grateful for. So, I’ve just got to accept my new role and make the best out of it.”
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Manning also said the move is not a big surprise considering how the team has gotten off to a slow start and they drafted Jones to be the eventual starter. “I knew there was a possibility. Just said, ‘hey I’ll handle it. And I’ll support Daniel and I’ll be a good teammate and do what I’m told,’” he said.
“When you draft a young quarterback, this can happen.”
— Eli Manning on if he wishes he had more time as the starter pic.twitter.com/tqO8zolmLa
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 18, 2019
The Ole Miss alum was also asked if he would have played this year if they made Jones the starter before the season began.
“Yeah. I think you give it a shot and worked hard and competed. Did everything I thought I could and it just didn’t work out,” he said. “…I didn’t know how everything was going to shake out this year… You draft a young QB, yeah it’s a possibility they’ll play him when things don’t go well. We didn’t start fast and that’s the situation we’re in now.”
There are a number of reasons why the Giants have lost their first two games of the year, but the offense will take most of the blame, scoring only 31 points. And Manning is coming off a game where he completed only 57 percent of his passes and he threw two interceptions.
“Eli and I spoke this morning,” Giants head coach Shurmur said Tuesday in a statement via NFL.com. “I told him that we are making a change and going with Daniel as the starter. I also talked to Daniel. Eli was obviously disappointed, as you would expect, but he said he would be what he has always been, a good teammate, and continue to prepare to help this team win games. Daniel understands the challenge at hand, and he will be ready to play on Sunday.”
Manning may be a little disappointed with the decision, but he does not have to apologize for his career. Along with winning two Super Bowls, Manning has been the Pro Bowl four times, thrown for 56,537 yards and 362 touchdowns. He ranks seventh all-time in passing yards and eighth in passing TDs.
