Eli Manning stood in front of his locker like he has just about every Wednesday during his 16-year career, answering questions with the same poise and team-first attitude he has displayed since joining the Giants in 2004. Except this was a very different day, the first since his rookie season as the backup quarterback (other than his one week backing up Geno Smith in 2017).
“I’m just taking this day by day,” Manning said, “just trying to figure out how to run a scout team. That was my number one objective today, and I thought I did pretty well.”
That was Manning’s attempt at humor, which was difficult because it was clear he wasn’t happy with what transpired. The two-time Super Bowl MVP will Mann up and be a good teammate and a mentor to Daniel Jones because that’s who Eli Manning is.
But that doesn’t mean he has to agree with being benched after the Giants’ 0-2 start in favor of the first-round pick from Duke.
“Obviously, disappointed,” Manning said, “not happy, about it. But you accept it and make the best of it.”
If you think Manning is planning a retirement party, think again. The “thank-yous” and accolades for the class and character he has shown throughout his career are pouring in, but Manning doesn’t sound like he’s ready to call it a season, much less a career.
“I’m not dying and the season’s not over,” he said. “There’s a lot to be positive about, a lot to be grateful for. I’ve just got to accept my new role and make the best it.”
This will not be an easy transition, not for Manning, not for Jones, not for the Giants. It’s one thing to be Sam Darnold and be handed the keys to the Jets’ franchise because there is no other option. It’s another for Jones to become a starter with the franchise’s career record holder in just about every category lurking over his shoulder.
“My gut told me it was the right time, but that narrative that you don’t bring Eli back, I think that’s just something for us all to talk about,” head coach Pat Shurmur said.
There’s no coming back from this. This was Shurmur’s call, so Jones is Shurmur’s quarterback. The Giants belong to Jones now. At 38, Manning still feels he can play and probably wishes he had more time to prove it.
“I didn’t know how everything was going to shake out this year,” Manning said. “You just know when you draft a young quarterback, there’s a possibility that they’re going to play him if things don’t go well. We didn’t start fast and that’s situation we’re in now.”
He becomes a high-priced backup for now, but another team might want him as its starter in this quarterback-needy league.
Manning wouldn’t address whether he would waive his no-trade clause if an opportunity presents itself.
“Right now my future is the second-string quarterback of the Giants,” Manning said, “and I’ve got to get myself ready to play and do whatever I’m called upon and feel I need to do to help out the rest of my teammates.”
There will be plenty of time to celebrate Manning’s career at a later date: The Super Bowls, the 56,537 yards passing, the 362 touchdowns are part of his résumé. So is his 116-116 record as a starter, including an 8-25 mark over the past three years.
“It’s not over,” Manning said. “The season’s not over. We’ve got a lot of football. I’m just going to go do my part, do my job, get Daniel ready to play, be ready to play if called upon and support my teammates and get everybody ready.”
Whether or not Shurmur gave Manning a fair chance is just as debatable as the decision to bring him back in the first place.
There’s no perfect way to bench an icon. This is a new league of mobile quarterbacks who can operate a spread offense, and Jones “checked off all the boxes,” Shurmur said.
So Jones gets his first career start in Tampa with Manning watching from the sidelines.
“When you’re a football player, you do what you’re told,” he said. “This is what I’ve been told and I’ll handle it.”
Mann-up.