New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he’s opening to mentoring first-round draft pick rookie Daniel Jones.
Some think it could be an awkward situation for New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning going into OTAs. The Giants now have a new quarterback in Daniel Jones, who will eventually become Manning’s successor. Manning knows it, Jones knows it, and the organization knows it.
So, does that make things a little weird for Manning and Jones? The answer seems to be no.
“No awkwardness in our room,” Manning said Monday at the Giants’ first OTA practice. “Just don’t create it. Don’t make something that’s not an issue. For whatever reason, it doesn’t bother me.”
Manning also told the media that he would be open to mentoring Jones. It seems that Manning wants to help put the Giants in the best position to succeed in the future.
“I think I’ve been doing that the last 11, 12 years,” Manning said. “I don’t know when you become a mentor, or when that’s official. I think if you’ve been in the league longer than any guy in the quarterback room I think you should be a mentor in that sense where if you know a little bit more and be helpful.
“Again, it’s not necessarily your job to do it, but you’re in the quarterback room and if all the quarterbacks are in there, you’re talking and helping out then everybody’s mentoring everybody. If certain guys aren’t in there, then you can’t be mentored. So it’s a little bit on Daniel just kind of being in there, listening, asking questions and everybody willing to help out in those situations.”
Jones isn’t slated to start for the Giants this season. He may not play at all as the Giants let him sit behind Manning and learn the position of a professional quarterback.
However, when Manning finally calls it quits, Jones is the man of the future. Manning seems poised and motivated to help Jones for that eventual challenge.
