The New York Giants may finally be ready to give Daniel Jones a start at quarterback, pulling Eli Manning after yet another woeful performance from the two-time Super Bowl winner.
Last season, New York Giants fans grew frustrated at the lack of an option at quarterback besides Eli Manning, who showed a clear decline in his play. Manning failed to hook up with superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who eventually received his wish via a trade to the more exciting Cleveland Browns.
But the Giants now have their own young quarterback who seems capable of injecting excitement into the franchise, judging by his preseason performance. Following Manning’s two-interception display in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Daniel Jones may get his chance to make his regular season debut.
Giants head coach Pat Shurmur has declined to name a starter for Week 3, whereas the Giants were previously adamant that Manning would continue to lead the team at quarterback.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there’s so much optimism regarding Jones that the Giants think he’s even better than they expected when they drafted him. That’s saying something, too, because the Jones pick was widely panned as a reach at No. 6.
At the very least, it won’t be difficult for Jones to outplay Manning, who has led the team to an 0-2 record and looked completely out of sorts against Buffalo. Jones can help feed the rock to Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram until Golden Tate joins the fray, and he’ll also be able to lean on elite running back Saquon Barkley.
The Giants future could finally be bright, and while Rapoport relays that the team will give Eli the courtesy of not having to step down from starting duties suddenly, it’s clear that the narrative in New York is shifting. Jones is ready to make his first NFL start, he can hardly be a worse option than Manning, and the talented skill position players on the roster are ready to benefit.
If Jones starts in Week 3, he could have an ideal opponent on tap, as the Giants face a below-average Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass defense.