New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur’s final words before breaking for the summer suggested Big Blue would foster a quarterback competition between Eli Manning and rookie Daniel Jones when training camp opens.
The comments surprised many after the Giants insisted all spring that Manning remained primed to start another season.
Manning himself isn’t affected by Shurmur alluding to a QB competition. At the Manning Passing Academy, Eli told NFL Network’s Rhett Lewis Friday that he doesn’t believe he’s fighting with Jones to keep his job.
“I mean no, I don’t feel like it’s a competition,” Manning said in an interview that will air on NFL Network’s Total Access Friday night. “I feel like I’ve got to do my job and I’ve got to compete every day and try to get better every day. That’s the way it’s been my whole life and that’s just the way I’ve always approached practice every day to improve, to earn my place on the team, to earn the respect of the teammates and do it each year.”
Manning doesn’t consider Jones competition and said he’s got no issue nurturing a rookie QB that the Giants hope will become the next franchise signal-caller.
“We’ve got new guys and I’m trying to build a relationship with them and get them up to speed and so I’m trying to do my job in the quarterback room,” Manning said. “I’ve always been good with young quarterbacks, whoever’s been in there, trying to get them up to speed, teaching them about defenses or styles or what our defense plays. So I’m doing the same thing with Daniel and I’m going to be a good teammate, I’m going to do the best that I can do and help everybody on the Giants be successful.”
Manning’s dismissal of a supposed QB competition similarly echoes Jones’ reaction to Shurmur’s comments, when the rookie said he’d not been told by coaches he’d have a chance to start.
Whether or not it’s a full-blown competition, the reps each QB gets when training camp opens on July 24 will be closely monitored. A buzz will start if Jones gets reps with the 1s early in camp, but Manning doesn’t sound concerned about that possibility.
Manning noted that he remembers his own “competition” with Kurt Warner back in 2004 — the veteran started the first half of the season before Big Blue turned to Manning for the final seven tilts.
“Definitely drawing back on that and I talk to Daniel and I see so many similarities in the situation and how things are going and just what he’s trying to do, his personality,” Manning said. “He’s coming into this team, he’s just trying to learn the playbook, learn the names of everybody, got to earn the respect of his teammates. He’s got so much going on. He’s got the New York media, dealing with them; all of a sudden they’re saying things Day 1. … So just work hard, take your job seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously — if you can do that — enjoy your teammates, listen to your coaches and we’re all in this together and we’ll get through it.”
Manning also admitted he’s seen the memes suggesting Jones is a facsimile of himself, and noted their personalities are similar as rookies.
“I see it,” Manning said. “He’s a good kid, he’s quiet and he’s just trying to learn, get a good feel for when to let his personality come out. I was the same way. My rookie year I wasn’t going to say — Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, you got these big personalities — I’m just going to keep my mouth shut, be on time, work my tail off in the weight room, ask my questions to the coach after the meeting is over and make sure I know what I’m doing before tell Tiki what his route is or I tell Amani Toomer, ‘Hey, I don’t think you did that right.’ You got to earn the respect. You got to get hit in the mouth a few times and get up … before you do a whole lot of talking.”
Catch Manning’s interview Friday night on NFL Total Access at 7 p.m. ET.