Eli Manning has been benched in favor of Daniel Jones.

Truth be told – I sat down this morning to write a different article. It was going to be something about the state of NY sports. In the wake of a disastrous weekend for our football teams, I was about to pen a missive about the overall sports scene here in the Big Apple. That article has been put on hold – because the New York Football Giants have officially benched Eli Manning.

I have mixed emotions about this. Most Giants fans probably do. Eli has been a stalwart since being named the starter. He’s led us to two Super Bowls, been named MVP twice, and started 232 games for the team. However, recent history hasn’t been so kind to Eli, or the team for that matter. They’ve struggled of late – having only 2 winning seasons since their last Super Bowl victory. There are myriad reasons for this, and many moves have been made recently to try and address those struggles, but the spotlight shines brightest on Eli.

Thanks For Everything

There has been debate among analysts and fans alike as to whether or not the Giants should move on from Eli. It’s been an ongoing conversation for a few seasons. Now that the decision has finally been made, the debate will reach fever pitch: Is it too soon? Why did it take so long? Of course, many of the answers will depend on how Daniel Jones performs in the coming weeks. I’d rather not join that debate – at least not now, in this article. Sure – I have my thoughts and opinions about it all, but for the moment I’d just like to say THANK YOU to Eli. It’s been a wild ride since you took the reins, but through it all, you’ve been a true competitor and a class act.

I know it won’t be easy for Eli – but I have even more confidence in Daniel Jones knowing that he’s got someone like Eli helping mold him into the player we in Giants Nation all hope he becomes.