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Eli Manning Era Ends: Rookie Jones Named NY Giants Starting QB

The inevitable occurred two games into the 2019 NFL season on Tuesday when New York Giants Coach Pat Shurmur named rookie Daniel Jones as the team's new starting quarterback beginning this Sunday in Tampa against the Buccaneers.

Daniel Jones starts, Eli Manning sits beginning this Sunday in Tampa against the Bucs.

Daniel Jones starts, Eli Manning sits beginning this Sunday in Tampa against the Bucs.

Photo Credit: COURTESY: New York Giants / INSET: Mike Morbeck

“Eli and I spoke this morning,” Shurmur said in a Tuesday morning post on giantscom. “I told him that we are making a change and going with Daniel as the starter. I also talked to Daniel. 

“Ultimately, this is a move that I felt was best for this team at this time. This move is more about Daniel moving forward than about Eli.”

Manning, who will be the backup QB for the 0-2 Giants, "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.”

Manning -- who has a 116-116 record as a starter but was the MVP in two Super Bowl victories -- led an offense that averaged 420 yards in its first two games, in Dallas and against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, but the team scored only four touchdowns. Manning threw for two of those, with two interceptions.

Jones, 22, was the sixth overall selection in this season's draft in April.

He completed 764 of 1,275 passes (60%) for 8,201 yards, 52 touchdowns and 29 interceptions at Duke University.

Jones also is mobile: He also had 406 rushing attempts for 1,323 yards (3.3-yard avg.) and 17 touchdowns for the Blue Devils.

His Giants' preseason stats were eye-popping: 29 of 34 pass completions (85.3%) for 416 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in four games.

Manning, who has an 8-4 playoff record, has been on the other end of the equation.

There were seven games left in the Giants' 2004 season when he took over for Kurt Warner. 

Manning holds all of the Giants’ career passing records, including completions, 4,860 (6th all time in the NFL), passing yards, 56,537 (7th) and TD passes, 362 (8th).

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