The New York Giants officially retired quarterback Eli Manning on Friday morning, and with the departure of Manning goes the #10, which co-owner John Mara explicitly said would never be worn again.
Eli’s sendoff was emotional and heartbreaking, but the reality is, the Giants were ready to turn the page on his period and begin the Daniel Jones era. In 2019, Jones was forced into a starting role, and while he did suffer through some problematic situations, like racking up double-digit fumbles, he also threw the ball very well and showed what he could do with his legs.
The New York Giants are convinced they have their quarterback for the future, and Manning would agree:
“I think there’s a bright future,†Manning said. “I have a lot of fond memories of being in the meeting rooms and being with the coaches and being around Daniel and Alex Tanney in the quarterback room. We had lots of laughs and great work that we did.
“I know Daniel. I appreciate a lot of things about him, and the fact that he loves the game of football. He’s passionate about it and he works extremely hard, so you appreciate those things. If that weren’t the case, it might have been harder to go through this situation, but you see the way he conducts himself, and I think, you know, he’s got a bright, bright future ahead of him and so do the Giants.â€
Jones was under essential mentorship last season, learning from the two time Super Bowl winning passer. Manning further instilled the idea of work-ethic and discipline in Jones’ professional career, which will only benefit the Giants moving forward. Being the first one in the building and the last one to leave is a characteristic trait, and Jones has the right mentality going into his second-season with Big Blue.