Giants name Daniel Jones starting QB, bench Eli Manning

Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The New York Giants have named rookie Daniel Jones their starting quarterback and benched veteran Eli Manning.

Giants coach Pat Shurmur announced the move Tuesday. Manning completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 556 yards, two scores and two interceptions in two games for the winless Giants. Jones completed 3 of 4 passes for 17 yards in the Giants' Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Giants selected Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Manning -- a two-time Super Bowl champion -- has started 232 games for the franchise. Manning, 38, was also benched during the 2017 season, ending a streak of 210 consecutive starts, the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.

"Eli and I spoke this morning," Shurmur said in a news release. "I told him that we are making a change and going with Daniel as the starter. I also talked to Daniel.

"Eli was obviously disappointed, as you would expect, but he said he would be what he has always been, a good teammate, and continue to prepare to help this team win games. Daniel understands the challenge at hand, and he will be ready to play on Sunday."

Shurmur declined to reveal his Week 3 starter when pressed by reporters Monday, following the team's 28-14 home loss to the Buffalo Bills.

"We are 0-2 and looking for answers so I get it," Manning told reporters Monday. ... "I just have to keep working and do whatever my job is."

Jones completed 85.3 percent of his passes for 416 yards, two scores and no interceptions during his impressive 2019 preseason campaign.

The Giants face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 4:05 p.m. EDT on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Buccaneers have allowed the third-lowest completion percentage (55.1 percent) to opposing quarterbacks this season.

"Ultimately, this is a move that I felt was best for this team at this time," Shurmur said. "I have said it since I got here, I am very fond of Eli. His work ethic, his preparation, his football intelligence. All those attributes are as good as I have ever seen in a player. And Eli worked as hard as you could ask of anybody to get ready for this season.

"This move is more about Daniel moving forward than about Eli."