New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning said yesterday that he was "obviously disappointed, not happy" about losing his starting job to Daniel Jones, but that he still intends to finish the season and support the rookie.
Jones was named the team's new starter on Tuesday, and Manning knew that the possibility had existed since the Giants drafted Jones with the sixth overall pick.
"In some ways I signed up for this, knowing when you draft a young quarterback, this can happen," Manning said. "And I gotta live with it and make the best of it."
It's quite a change for the 38-year-old Manning who—with the exception of one bizarre week last season—has been the Giants' starter since midway through the 2004 season. It seems unlikely that the two-time Super Bowl winner will finish his career elsewhere.
Manning has a no-trade clause in his contract. Two sources close to the quarterback said this week that they didn't expect him to wear another team's jersey and believed he would eventually retire as a Giant.
When asked whether this was the end of his time with the team, Manning expressed uncertainty saying, "who knows. Again, I'm not dying, and the season's not over."
No Eli, but the Giants knew their playoff window was after Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills dropped them to and 0-2 start for the sixth time in seven seasons.
Something had to change—and that is why head coach Pat Shurmur and Dave Gettleman agreed it was time, as Shurmur says the decision was made under the premise that he believed Jones gave the Giants the best chance to win.
Judging from Eli’s last two games, it gives them their onlychance to win.
Source: ESPN