Giants coach Pat Shurmur won't commit to Eli Manning starting in Week 3
There will likely be a quarterback change this season for the New York Giants, it’s just a matter of when.
Maybe it’ll happen this week.
In his Monday news conference, Shurmur wouldn’t say if Eli Manning will start in Week 3’s game against the Buccaneers in Tampa.
“We’re gonna talk about everything moving forward,” Shurmur said, via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. “I think that’s fair at this point.”
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Shurmur was told that answer would invite speculation that the team could start rookie first-round pick Daniel Jones.
“I understand,” Shurmur said, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL Network.
Daniel Jones played well in the preseason
Everyone was aware the switch was a good possibility this season. First-round picks don’t sit for entire seasons anymore.
But Week 3 would be very fast. Jones’ great preseason likely sped up the timetable. Manning had 250 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. The Giants didn’t get much going on offense, and fell to 0-2.
When the switch is made, there’s likely no turning back. Jones is the future. Manning has had a great career though, and the Giants want to make sure it’s the right time before they turn to the rookie.
When will the switch happen?
Manning is one of the most popular players in Giants history after helping to win two Super Bowls. There was a massive controversy when he was benched for a game in 2017, and it was the final straw for Ben McAdoo as head coach. That’s why this has been a sensitive subject.
It seems clear the Giants won’t be great this season. There’s no real reason to wait much longer to start Jones, other than to protect Manning’s feelings after all he has done for the franchise.
The door is open now for a possible switch. It’s coming at some point, and perhaps in the next few days.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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