Starting QB job open
Jones will get chance to compete for position
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Pat Shurmur fanned the flames of a potential quarterback competition between Eli Manning and Daniel Jones on Tuesday.
With a six-week break until Giants training camp in late July, Shurmur could have kept it boring on the final day of media OTA availability. Instead, the head coach danced around a definitive statement on the subject and left the door open a crack for Jones to challenge for early playing time.
Shurmur raised eyebrows, and elicited several follow-up questions, by making yet another comment about Jones possibly playing early. He said the No. 6 overall pick is “on track with the goal to be ready to play day one.”
Later on he called Manning his “starter,” but when asked if he foresaw a scenario where Jones could start in Week 1, Shurmur said: “You never know what’s gonna happen. But as I said, Eli’s getting ready to play, and so is Daniel.”
The coach cited “injuries” as something that can change a plan. That could also happen if “somebody just starts playing better than another.”
The primary takeaway? Shurmur is treating Manning as his starting QB for now and doesn’t want to label Jones publicly as a backup this early. He also believes Jones will be ready to play in Week 1 if needed, and he’s developing him on that timeline.
Shurmur’s coy approach to this topic is reminiscent of GM Dave Gettleman’s “we didn’t sign him to trade him” remarks on Odell Beckham Jr.
The head coach is saying enough to support the plan of Manning starting, but technically he is also leaving the door open to the scenario of Jones taking the job, too.
There’s nothing wrong with that, either. Shurmur should give Jones a shot if he gives the team the best chance to win, even if the rookie wasn’t lobbying for the job on Tuesday.
“I don’t think that’s my focus right now,” Jones said of whether he thinks he can earn the starting job. “I think in this offseason all of our focus is on just improving, being better than we were the day before. That’s certainly mine. We’re all trying to put ourselves in position to play. I think every man on the team has that mindset when they go out to practice. So whatever the plan is, I think my focus certainly right now is just to be better than it was the day before.”
Engram has injured hamstring: Pat Shurmur disclosed Evan Engram’s injury as a hamstring on Tuesday and said the Giants are not holding Engram back; his injury is.
Engram said Saturday at Landon Collins’ charity softball game that the Giants were being “cautious” by keeping him out of minicamp and OTA practices and that it wasn’t his choice.
Shurmur on Tuesday then disclosed that the tight end had “hurt his hamstring and he’s coming back from that injury. So we’ll be smart with him just like we were during the season.”
“So we’re not holding him back, so to speak,” the coach added. “If he was able to be out there he would, but we all know he’ll be out there very soon.”
Engram hadn’t been made available to the media through his practice absence to date but was available at the podium on Tuesday.
Notes: Rookie wideout Darius Slayton took reps with the first-team offense on Tuesday. He has impressed the coaches since a difficult day of drops to open rookie minicamp in early May.
Corner Sam Beal was back at practice working with the second-team defense after missing two days of last week’s minicamp due to personal reasons.
The Giants will wrap up OTAs with practices on Wednesday and Thursday. Rookies then will stay one extra week while veterans will begin their summer vacations.
Shurmur said rookies will show for training camp on July 22 with some selected veterans that “maybe” will include quarterbacks. Then the full team will report on July 24.