Josh Johnson thinks Giants have “one of the better quarterback rooms in the NFL”
Eli Manning was named starting quarterback of the New York Giants on Nov. 21, 2004, the 10th game of his rookie season.
That was 4,552 days ago. Much has transpired since Tom Coughlin decided to throw Manning into the mix.
No. 10 hasn’t missed a start, a span of 211 regular season and postseason games. He’s thrown for more than 48,000 yards and 320 touchdowns. And, oh yeah, there’s those two Super Bowls and Super Bowl MVPs.
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Manning’s availability and durability are a byproduct of good preparation and a little bit of luck. The Giants haven’t had to worry too much with No. 10 behind center. Yes, he’s made some extremely questionable decisions with the football throughout his career. At the end of day, the Giants’ best chance to win since Nov. 21, 2004 is with Manning at quarterback.
The Giants never gave much thought to life after Manning. That is, they never gave much thought to life after Manning before Wild Card Weekend.
The Giants took a trip to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field and got eviscerated by the Green Bay Packers, 38-13. General manager Jerry Reese said the team would begin looking for Manning’s successor after the playoff loss. The timing seemed off. It sounded like the usual smoke and mirrors that comes from executives and head coaches after an otherwise successful season comes to an abrupt end by getting the brakes beat off them in a playoff game.
Reese backed up his words as soon free agency started.
He re-signed Josh Johnson, a journeyman quarterback with stops in eight NFL cities and the Canadian Football League. Johnson was the Giants’ number three quarterback who was activated for the final two regular season games after an injury to former backup Ryan Nassib.
Reese also brought in Geno Smith from the stadium-mate Jets a few hours after re-signing Johnson. The rumors of Smith being groomed to take the mantle from Manning were quickly squashed by Giants co-owner John Mara.
If Mara didn’t squash the Smith ascension talk, selecting Davis Webb in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft should.
All of sudden, the Giants have four quarterbacks.
Manning is still the Giants’ starter and will be the starter until at least 2019, when his current contract expires. Webb is firmly entrenched as the Giants’ number three quarterback as Manning’s eventual successor. He is guaranteed a roster spot until though he will not play in 2017.
This leaves Johnson and Smith to battle it out for the role of Manning’s backup. Neither option is very promising. Johnson has bounced around the NFL. Smith did very little to change the fact that Joe Namath and Ken O’Brien are still the best quarterbacks in Gang Green history.
Johnson has an immediate advantage over Smith because he was in Ben McAdoo’s offense last season. He welcomes the competition the Giants have a quarterback, even if it means he may be shown the door.
“Competition breeds excellence,” Johnson said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. “It’s going to be a great room. We’re going to have one of the better quarterback rooms in the NFL and I’m excited about it.
“It’s just a blessing. It’s not really crazy. I appreciate everything. It shows what hard work does when you keep working and stay the course.”
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