Brett Favre believes he has some insight into what went through Eli Manning’s mind when rookie Daniel Jones dominated in his first start as Giants quarterback.
“You and I and anyone else can only speculate what Eli was thinking,” the former Packers quarterback recently said on his Sirius XM NFL show, according to NJ.com. “But you have to think that deep down inside, a part of him … not wanted to see Daniel Jones fail, but not play at the level he did.”
Manning, who was benched after a Week 2 loss to the Bills, gave Jones a fist-bump after Jones’ first touchdown during the Giants’ 32-31 comeback win over the Buccaneers. Amid the “Danny Dimes” mania, Favre thinks Manning might feel an inherent need to shoulder the blame for past failures.
“The short term, it really makes you look bad. And all the things that have been leading to the team’s losses falls back on you — and you know that’s not the case. It’s hard to say, ‘Heck, I guess it’s me. I guess the reason we are losing these games is because of me.’ You have to believe that at some point that crosses his mind,” Favre said.
Favre has been in Manning’s shoes somewhat, after his heir apparent, Aaron Rodgers, was drafted by the Packers in 2005. However, Favre held onto his starting job for three years through retirement rumors and controversies. Ultimately, the Packers traded Favre to the Jets after the 2007 season to make way for Rodgers.
Manning, meanwhile, has supported his successor amid the challenging circumstances.
“I think he has seen the writing on the wall before this last game. If anything it has solidified what we thought was coming anyway,” Favre said of Manning. “The Eli Era, at least with the Giants, is over.”
As for Jones, Favre said the rookie already knows how to satisfy the appetites of hungry Giants fans.
“And the fact that he is replacing, I think, a future Hall of Famer in a hostile environment — and I’m talking about really from your own fans, the expectation level is always at an all-time high in New York. And the patience level is at a very low standard with the fans there. They expect it now. And he delivered,” Favre said.
Jones gets to put on a show for the hometown crowd Sunday against the winless Redskins.