Eli Manning Era Ends, Daniel Jones Now the Starter

16 years ago, the New York Giants were 5-4 when then Head Coach Tom Coughlin decided it was time to bench Kurt Warner and start a young kid from an SEC school, who's namesake was made famous by his Hall of Fame brother.

That kid, Eli Manning, lived through all the trials and tribulations of that rookie season, and those early years. He was chastised by his teammates -- especially running back Tiki Barber and tight end Jeremy Shockey, who used the quarterback as a doormat, and had to live with the ever daunting comparisons to his brother Peyton, his father Archie, and the demands of the City that never sleeps.

In 2005, the Giants were 3-2 heading into a Week 7 matchup with the Denver Broncos at Giants Stadium. The Giants trailed for much of the day, and were at one point down 23-10 in the fourth quarter when Manning led Big Blue back in a comeback that would both define his career, and serve as a preview of coming attractions. Manning won that game on a two-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer with five seconds left.

The Giants would go 11-5 that year, win the NFC East before bowing out in the playoffs 23-0 to the Carolina Panthers in the wild card.

And, boy, did Eli get ripped apart by the fans and media for that game against the Panthers. Little did anyone know he would comeback with vengeance two years later when he took an unlikely wild team past the best competition in the NFC to Super Bowl XLII where he beat back the undefeated New England Patriots, 17-14.

18-1 will always carry meaning in the minds of Giants and NFL fans forever.

Manning won one more Super Bowl four years later, again against those Patriots, cementing his place in Giants and New York sports history forever.

However the last six to seven seasons have not been as kind to Manning. His skills slowly diminished along with the talent that was built around him. The Giants didn't do him any favors the last few years. From Ben McAdoo's anti-Eli antics, to Odell Beckham Jr. creating on-field and off-field distractions. To playing behind a horrible offensive line, and playing with a bad team constructed by a soon-to-be-fired General Manager in David Gettleman, it hasn't been fun.

And it isn't all Eli's fault.

On Tuesday with the Giants at 0-2 for the fifth time in the last six years, Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur had to make the decision to formally end the Manning era, benching him for rookie Daniel Jones.

Jones played extremely well in training camp and in preseason games. A rookie out of Duke, Jones has a lot of attributes that remind people of a younger Eli Manning. Whether that actually translates on the field it anyone's guess right now. The fact is when you have a 38-year old quarterback who is regressing, and a young quarterback who was taken sixth overall in the draft sitting on the bench, eventually the kid is going to play.

Now is the time at 0-2 and with a team likely heading nowhere this year, it makes sense to give Jones the opportunity. Will it be the last time we see Manning on the field for the Giants? Not likely, he will play again at some point this year, but it likely won't be as a starter.

So 16 years after taking the job from veteran Kurt Warner, Eli Manning gets to watch his football life come full circle, ironically, with a young quarterback taking his job.

If this is the end of the line for Manning, he leaves a lasting legacy in New York that can not be questioned. The day will come his name joins the likes of LT, Phil Simms, Bill Parcells, Harry Carson and many others in the Giants Hall of Fame. His number 10 will one day get retired. Pro Football Hall of Fame? Maybe, one day.