Giants Name Rookie Daniel Jones Starting Quarterback for Week 3 Over Eli Manning
Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has been named the Giants starter for Week 3 instead of franchise face Eli Manning, the team announced Tuesday.
Jones was taken by New York with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL draft as Manning's presumed successor. Though Jones may not have been expected to take over so soon, Manning put together two disappointing starts in the season-opening loss to the Cowboys in Dallas and a home-opening loss to the Bills in Week 2.
“Eli and I spoke this morning,” Shurmur said. “I told him that we are making a change and going with Daniel as the starter. I also talked to Daniel. Eli was obviously disappointed, as you would expect, but he said he would be what he has always been, a good teammate, and continue to prepare to help this team win games. Daniel understands the challenge at hand, and he will be ready to play on Sunday.”
During the team's 28–14 loss to Buffalo on Sunday, Manning finished the game with 250 yards on 26-of-45 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. He is completing just 62.9% of his passes through two weeks this season, which good for a quarterback rating of just 78.7.
At his news conference on Monday, Shurmur said he was “going to address all areas” and did not commit to Manning as the team's starter heading into Week 3.
“Ultimately, this is a move that I felt was best for this team at this time,” Shurmur said. “I have said it since I got here, I am very fond of Eli. His work ethic, his preparation, his football intelligence. All those attributes are as good as I have ever seen in a player. And Eli worked as hard as you could ask of anybody to get ready for this season. This move is more about Daniel moving forward than about Eli.”
Jones posted 8,201 yards, 52 touchdowns and 29 interceptions during his three seasons at Duke. His first NFL start will come on Sunday as the Giants face the Buccaneers on the road at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.
