The Eli Manning era may be on the verge of concluding in New York. After saying Sunday the prospect of Daniel Jones taking over at quarterback was not a conversation he was ready to have, Giants coach Pat Shurmur said (via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY) “it’s fair” to have it now.
“He’s been our starter to this point. I’m not ready to talk about that,” Shurmur said of the Giants’ QB1 job Monday, via NFL.com’s Kimberly Jones (on Twitter).
He has not named his starter for Week 3 against the Buccaneers, inviting obvious speculation the 0-2 Giants will turn to Jones this week. The franchise’s previous plan was to start Manning while the team was still contending for the playoffs, but with the Giants opening the season with back-to-back losses by double digits, the organizational tone may be shifting.
Stripped of his top two wide receivers, Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate, Manning struggled against the Bills’ high-end defense. The Giants opened the season with a 35-17 loss to the Cowboys. New York’s defense, which did not get the Josh Allen reinforcement at edge defender Dave Gettleman strongly considered, ranks 29th in points and 28th in yards through two games.
Shurmur added he will certainly be “in the middle of” the team’s decision-making process on Manning, attempting to halt speculation this decision wouldn’t be his to make. Gettleman has said in the past Shurmur will make the call. Predecessor Ben McAdoo benched Manning for a December 2017 game and was fired, along with GM Jerry Reese. Manning has started every Giants game since, upping his career start total to 232 — seventh-most in NFL history by a quarterback.
Geno Smith
Giants are a mess right now. They messed up the draft, they brought back Eli when they knew they were taking the QB which hurt the cap space. They’ve had no pass rush since last year. Too bad they can’t trade Eli and a pick for Joh Allen, the pass rusher they should have drafted
The defense is atrocious, and since they are only winning two games this year I’m hoping someone will want Eli and Jenkins before the deadline.
Shurmur should have stayed as OC in Minnesota instead of leaving to be HC for this train wreck of a team.
He’s making significantly more money as a HC.
He’s part of the train wreck. Can’t coach, and Gettleman is awful. The team is in worse shape than it’s been in a long time.
Steelers should trade for Manning
He’d be a good fit for them.
Nobody is trading for Eli and his 23mil
What a shame for once a great franchise. Shurmur can’t coach this will be his last coaching job, and Gettleman is a terrible GM. These two have set the franchise back at least 3 yrs. Time to play the kid and give him the yr
Met Life patrons are counting down the days until the Guardians arrive so they can enjoy a complete 3 ring circus.
I was only joking after last year’s draft when I said Barkley will be this generation’s Barry Sanders.
To quote a wise man:
Oh it’s true!
It’s very true!