Pat Shurmur Hints at Giants QB Competition Between Eli Manning and Daniel Jones

New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur created quite the stir at the end of OTA’s on Tuesday that could change the landscape of the team.

While speaking at his post-practice press conference, Shurmur hinted that Eli Manning and rookie Daniel Jones will compete for the starting quarterback job throughout training camp.

“I think we are going to play the very best player and I know we are dancing around the words there. Right now, Eli is getting ready to have a great year and Daniel is getting ready to play,” said Shurmur. “You just see what happens with it.”

This is a far cry from what general manager Dave Gettleman has stated throughout the offseason. From following the “Kansas City Model,” where Manning could potentially play one last season, to the “Green Bay Model,” in which Gettleman hinted on NFL Draft night that Jones won’t see the field for at least three years.

The talk out of OTA’s and mandatory minicamp has been how impressed the Giants (as a whole) were with the rookie out of Duke. From accuracy on deep passes, to the ability to run out of the pocket, Jones is creating fans in the form of teammates, coaches, and media alike.

“I think he has had a really, really productive offseason,” said Shurmur of Jones. “He is on track with the goal to be ready to play day one. That is really what all the players need to be thinking. The quarterback stuff will be on the front burner for everyone. I get that. He is on track.”

Manning has heard the rumblings ever since Jones was selected with the sixth overall pick. Yet, he’s going about this offseason program like he’s had for the past 15 seasons, and that’s to start in Week 1.

Based off the moves Gettleman and Co. have made in the new league year, they need to win in order to justify their decisions. As any NFL fan with a pulse knows, the success of an NFL team hinges on the quarterback. If Jones plays better than Manning throughout training camp, how can Shurmur possibly bench him?

With a couple of months before the start of the 2019 season, Pat Shurmur and the rest of the Giants coaching staff  will have to make a choice as to which signal caller gives them the best chance to succeed. Even if Eli Manning does start the season under center, he will have Daniel Jones lurking in the shadows to potentially take his job at some point down the road.