Former New York Giants linebacker Tae Davis discussed Eli Manning’s retirement press conference on Friday and reflected on his time as a teammate with the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
“He’s everything you would want in a Giants player the way he carried himself on and off the field. It hasn’t always been pretty with him having to deal with scrutiny from the media, but he has been very respectable went about it the right way,” Davis told Giants Wire.
“He’s totally unselfish. Very friendly and always there for you as a teammate if you needed someone to lean on for guidance or advice. He was just that type of guy. The way he went about things it told you everything you need to know. You could learn a lot from watching how he prepared.
“It was something that a lot of guys saw coming at some point, but it was still a shock to everyone in terms of it being the beginning of the end for Eli’s career. It was weird seeing him run scout team, it just didn’t feel right.
“I was very surprised that they pulled the plug so early but it was unfortunately one of those deals where we signed up for it as the people upstairs are the ones making decisions in the best interest of the team.”
Davis came away even more impressed with Manning after watching him handle this low moment.
“Seeing how he dealt with being benched, especially as a two-time Super Bowl champ and the history of his family name and legacy on the Giants, it was tough for him but it showed how humble he is. I’ve never seen anything like it. Guys with his success and accolades wouldn’t be willing to keep quiet and accept a backup role.
“I just remembered watching the Eagles game (Eli’s first start since being benched in Week 2) and was happy for Eli proving he could still play great football after all the things he went through earlier in the season.
“I believe he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame. He’s top 10 in passing and total touchdowns and has won 2 Super Bowls over Tom Brady.”
Davis was waived by the Giants on October 29th.
Shortly after, Davis was picked up by the Cleveland Browns, where he would reunite with his former Giants teammates Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon.
Davis discussed his perception of Beckham despite all the negative buzz that’s been surrounding the star wide receiver.
“The media controls a lot of opinions. I don’t think anything has changed with Odell,” Davis said. “You’re always going to have growing pains going to a new team. He’s going to get it turned around in his second year on this offense. It’s always the minor things when something comes up and gets plastered everywhere.
“I look up to Odell like an older brother, but I see him time in and time out. I see his passion and wanting to win and win the right way. Both he and OV helped a lot with my transition here and making sure I was situated coming over here at mid-season.
“We are one of the most talented teams on paper. It takes time for guys to gel together. The work ethic is there.”
Davis also commented on his now former head coach Freddie Kitchens, who the Browns fired after his first season due to the team producing a disappointing record of 6-10.
“Freddie was more of a players coach. When I got there halfway through the season, he definitely wanted to have fun. I felt he had pretty good control of the team, but at the end of the day, some guys are still going to do what they want.”
It is fair to assume the poor season plus other dysfunctional tales on and off the field with the Browns also played a role in the termination of Kitchens.
“He wasn’t a bad coach. As a first-time head coach, he was still adjusting and trying to figure out the new role. With the team we had, he had to figure it out quick. We didn’t get the job done on the field and the organization did what they felt was best, but I’m in full support of Freddie,” Davis said.
Rumors have swirled that Kitchens will be added to the Giants’ staff, reuniting him with Joe Judge. However, those rumors have not yet been confirmed.
“I wish him nothing but the best with the giants. I know he’s going to attack it with his full effort,” said Davis.
“Having a guy like him on the staff [would help] teach Judge where he went wrong/right based on his own experience. Same with Jason Garrett, it helps having that experience. If you have a staff like that, you have those multiple opinions to help coach Judge decide what’s best.”
After a promising 2018 rookie campaign with the Giants (two sacks, 33 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and one pass deflection), Davis took a step back in his sophomore season playing only two games on the Giants defense. Davis recorded three tackles before primarily serving as a special team’s player once he got to the Cleveland Browns in Week 9.
Davis told me that he has already begun making adjustments to his diet and sleep schedule this offseason in order to come into training camp rejuvenated as he hopes to get back on the same track that saw him start four games at linebacker in a productive season for the Giants back in 2018.
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