Giants bench Manning, ending 210-start streak

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Eli Manning era with the New York Giants is on the rocks.

The Giants (2-9) announced Tuesday that the two-time Super Bowl MVP was being benched for the first time in more than 13 years so they could evaluate the other quarterbacks on the roster over the final month of a lost season.

The decision to sit the 36-year-old Manning was unexpected, especially with five games left in the regular season.

Manning expressed his unhappiness but voiced his support for Geno Smith, who will start against Oakland on Sunday.

Manning’s eyes welled with tears while talking to reporters. His chin quivered when asked about how much this hurt. His face got red the more he talked.

Coach Ben McAdoo gave Manning the option of starting to keep his streak of 210 consecutive starts alive, but he didn’t want any part of that.

“You start knowing you are going to come out of the game to keep a streak alive, maybe, that’s not what it is about,” Manning said. “It’s not a preseason game where you are going to start to the half, the next week a quarter, a series, that’s not fair. That’s not fair to me, not fair to Geno, not how you play. You play to win. When you are named the starting quarterback you think it’s your job to go win the football game.”

Manning’s voice broke when asked how this one hurt, noting it was one of his hardest days as a Giant.

“It’s been a hard day to handle this, but [I’ll] hang in there and figure it out,” he said.

McAdoo said he made the decision to start Smith over the weekend, and co-owner John Mara and General Manager Jerry Reese were in agreement.

McAdoo refused to say Whether this was the end of the Manning era.

“I have a lot of confidence in Eli as a player, as a quarterback,” McAdoo said. “But at this point, it’s my responsibility for the organization to make sure we take a look at Geno and at some point take a look at Davis [Webb] and give them the opportunity to show what they can do.”

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