Eli Manning saw two last starts for his longtime New York Giants during the 2019 NFL season before the two-time Super Bowl MVP retired at the conclusion of the year. With Manning, 39, officially gone, rising sophomore Daniel Jones will be the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart moving forward with the burden of new coordinator Jason Garrett's offensive on the Duke product's shoulders.
According to the retired signal-caller, Jones will only prosper going forward.
“I think it will be easier this year for him to kinda step up as that leader,” Manning said Monday on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via Giants Wire. “Last year was probably awkward for him, me being there, me being in meeting rooms and just kinda the whole dynamic. Me being gone and hey, he is the quarterback, he is the guy, for him to have that control and the authority over receivers and offensive line.
“He’s got to learn a new offense, and get total control of that and earn the respect of a new coaching staff,” Manning said. “I think he’ll do a great job. They’ll figure out how to play and how to win football games in the NFL, the style, and I think he’s got the respect of the team and he’ll go out and have a great year.”
Jones threw for over 3,000 passing yards with a 61.9 completion percentage, connecting on 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 13 games, only winning three starts out of a dozen, though. While Jones showed promising flashes alongside burgeoning offensive weapons like running back Saquon Barkley and wide receivers Darius Slayton and four-year veteran Sterling Shepard, the former sixth-overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft has to learn a new offense as ex-New England Patriots assistant Joe Judge leads the team and former Cowboys head coach Garrett joins as offensive coordinator.
Without Manning's involvement, though, the entire coaching staff and the team can focus on Jones' development and construct and path to success for the young quarterback.
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