Daniel Jones Named Starting QB, Eli Manning Benched

It’s the end of an era in New York, and the start of a new age in the Giants organization.

New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur announced on Tuesday that rookie Daniel Jones will be the team’s starting quarterback for their Week 3 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 16-year veteran Eli Manning will now head to the bench.

“Eli and I spoke this morning,” Shurmur said, via the team’s press release. “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.”

Writing on the Wall

The New York Giants have kicked off their 2019 campaign with a brutal 0-2 start. Manning, while not the main cause of this poor beginning to a new year, didn’t exactly keep the team in the game, as the offense failed to score more than 20 points in each performance.

Shurmur opened the proverbial floodgates during a Monday press conference, saying he was going to “address all areas” of the team, and that included the quarterback position. With that, the writing was on the wall for Manning.

Through two starts in 2019, Manning completed 58-of-86 pass attempts for 556 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 78.7 passer rating. That proved to be it, as he will now be paid $17 million for two weeks of work.

Overall, Manning recorded 56,537 passing yards, 362 touchdowns, and 241 interceptions, all on a 116-116 record. Manning was named to the Pro Bowl four times, and most importantly, is a two-time Super Bowl MVP.

The time of Eli Manning’s benching was universally expected, but no one saw it coming this early.

Danny Dimes Time

Daniel Jones entered the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area with much scrutiny after being selected sixth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, the criticism was silenced after a strong preseason performance, in which he showcased a strong arm and precise ball placement to the hands of his receivers.

Through those four preseason games, Jones completed 29-of-34 pass attempts for 416 yards and two touchdowns, along with a 137.5 passer rating.

On top of the characteristics listed earlier, Jones possesses the ability to extend a play with his feet. While not blazing fast speed, it’s something the Giants haven’t necessarily had at the quarterback position for a long time.

Now, the rookie out of Duke will face off against a rather stingy Buccaneers pass defense that has allowed 235.5 yards per game, and surrendered just one passing touchdown this season.

Whom Jones will be throwing to down in Tampa Bay will be one to follow. Sterling Shepard may be on his way out of concussion protocol. Yet, Cody Latimer entered protocol after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Buffalo Bills. Not to mention, Golden Tate is still serving his four-game suspension.

The New York Giants drafted Daniel Jones early for a reason. They believed he could be the franchise’s quarterback for the foreseeable future. Now, he gets the opportunity to prove the Giants organization right, starting on Sunday afternoon.