Eli Manning is a New York Giants legend at the quarterback position, and he knows what it takes to win in the NFL. Manning was interviewed live from the Giants training camp on Monday on WFAN Radio by Sal Licata and Brandon Tierney. Manning spoke about Daniel Jones and what he expects in years to come from him for the franchise.
Eli Manning Wants More From Daniel Jones After Signing Contract Extension
“You got to be mentally tough,” Manning said. “It’s not always going to be perfect or pretty. There are gonna be terrible games and rough seasons where you gotta grind to it. But you can’t let one game lead to another.”
Last season, Daniel Jones completed 67.2% of his passes for 3,205 yards passing, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also rushed for 708 yards on 120 carries and seven touchdowns. Jones averaged 5.9 per carry last season. Those stats were better for his standards, and he even led the New York Giants to the divisional round. However, Eli Manning expects more out of him this season, and it isn’t unreasonable for him to do so.
“That’s not unfair,” Eli Manning said. “When you get that second contract and you’re gonna be the quarterback of the future, there’s gonna be expectations. I think he understands that and knows that…with Daniel, it’s still about winning games. He has a lot of touchdowns and rushing yards. Those things add up. It’s not about throwing touchdowns, it’s about getting touchdowns.”
Eli Manning has also praised Daniel Jones’s leadership when it comes to doing things well and when it also comes down to messing things up like turning the football over and fixing his mistakes. Manning mentioned, “He has the right attitude and this team has that attitude.”
Daniel Jones was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Duke. He has overcome a lot of obstacles along the way. Jones will be in his second season with Brian Daboll as head coach and Mike Kafka as his offensive coordinator.
Eli Manning Believes in Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones will have many weapons in his arsenal this season. Saquon Barkley will be in the backfield. Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell, Darius Slayton, and rookie Jalin Hyatt will likely be the top four wide receivers on the New York Giants roster. Jones will also have a new shiny toy to throw to at tight end in Darren Waller.
There have been reports that those two have been hitting it off in training camp. Daniel Bellinger and Lawrence Cager will likely be the other two tight ends. Eli Manning doesn’t believe that Daniel Jones needs 35-40 touchdowns thrown this season to be successful, but more passing touchdowns need to be thrown to earn his money.
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