Eli Manning walked away from the NFL after the 2019 season came to an end, but he’s kept an eye on his former team and the man that’s replaced him as the starting quarterback for the Giants.
Many of the team’s hopes for 2020 and the future center around Daniel Jones’ continued growth as a quarterback, but it’s shaping up to be a challenging offseason for the second-year player. The COVID-19 pandemic is going to impact how much time teams have to work ahead of the season and the Giants are also installing a new offense with head coach Joe Judge and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett joining the organization.
In an interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post, Manning said that those things have the potential to interrupt Jones’ ability to take a step forward this year.
“It has the potential to be,” Manning said. “A couple of things could make it difficult in the fact that it’s gonna be a new offense that he’s gotta learn, and things get pushed back and you’re not there to be around your teammates. It’s not just him learning it, it’s kind of everybody learning it together. Hopefully they can get back soon and he can grow as a leader of the team.”
Manning’s own offseason football plans are limited to the annual Manning Passing Academy he puts on with his family. It’s scheduled for June and is on as of the moment, but Manning said “we’ll see how this next month goes, and then maybe have to start making decisions there.”