New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning fell out of the public eye after being benched in favor of rookie Daniel Jones in September, and by all accounts, that was one of the few things he enjoyed about being replaced.
But on Wednesday, news dropped that Manning would “very likely” be back under center in Week 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles, replacing Jones, who suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Accordingly, Manning reemerged and stepped up to the plate with the same grace and humor we’ve become accustomed to over the past 16 seasons.
“I missed you guys,” Manning told reporters with a sarcastic smile.
“It’s just business as usual in the sense of get the game plan and start prepping for Philly. We’re going against a good defense, but also a defense we’ve faced [a lot] over the years and know well. Just got to get back into the mix with the offensive line and receivers, and make sure timing is where it needs to be.”
Manning admits he’s not thinking ahead and hasn’t considered that he might be saying goodbye to Giants fans, instead focusing on each practice and whatever he can do to help the team win.
“Try to take it one game at a time and not make decisions about the future while you’re still living in the present and don’t know the circumstance of what could happen,” Manning said. “Just gotta go out there and try to get a win for the Giants.”
There was speculation that Manning would have been dealt at the trade deadline, but those rumors essentially fell flat. Asked about that situation, Eli jokingly said he couldn’t recall what happened all the way back then.
As things sit however, Manning feels completely fresh and focused.
“It is difficult, especially when you’ve been the starter for so long,” Manning said of not playing for months. “I’ve missed being part of the action. It felt good to be out there today (at practice).”
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