A former Eli Manning disciple is leading the pitchforks in outrage, wondering how the Giants can bench their beloved quarterback.
David Carr pointed the finger at the Giants’ front office Tuesday afternoon after the team announced Geno Smith would start Sunday against the Raiders over Manning. The decision would bring to an end Manning’s consecutive streak of 210 regular-season games started — after he declined to start to keep the record in reach — and relegates him to the bench for the first time in 13 years.
“They’ve lost their collective minds,” Carr wrote on Twitter in reaction to the news that Manning will not start against Carr’s younger brother, Derek, this weekend.
Carr was among the loudest. Also weighing in were:
- Kurt Warner, who was replaced by Manning in 2004: “He’s never done anything but show character and do the right thing. … Shame on the Giants.”
- Former Giants lineman David Diehl: “I’m absolutely speechless. I’ve watched every game & have sat through this rough @Giants season & this what you do to a man who has lead this team for 210 straight games.”
- Former Giants defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora: “Eli deserves much better than that. Much better. Class person, class player. That’s absurd.”
- Former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs: “Eli Manning you’re always gonna be my QB. 2X Super Bowl MVP you can’t make that s–t up bro.”
- Former Giants linebacker Carl Banks: “I am very emotional about this Eli S–T.. The guy who gave you EVERYTHING for better or worse NEVER missing a game and THIS how it ends?? Not #10! He deserves better, He gave is all when BETTER wasn’t there for him.. and this is how it ends?? I hurt for him.”
- Legendary Giants quarterback Phil Simms, who was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams in the late ’80s and early ’90s, told The Post: “I don’t want to get into a question of why. I wouldn’t do that out of respect to Eli Manning. It’s not even personal to me, but it’s very sad. It’s amazing that it hits you that way. For all the people that are not involved in football like I am, I can’t imagine what it feels like to them… As an ex-player, it’s a pretty sad day in Giants history. No player ever thinks of the end and not everybody gets to ride out like John Elway, Ray Lewis, Peyton Manning. I am not saying Eli won’t because I do believe we’ll see him again.”
- Former Giants defensive end Justin Tuck: “I’m honestly at a loss for words. As a person that has seen Eli the QB but also Eli the Man, I’m truly pissed about what has [taken] place today. This decision is one of the STUPIDEST I’ve seen in my time being asap with pro sports #noloyalty #14years #bullshit.”
While head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese reasoned that the 2-9 Giants need to see what Smith and rookie Davis Webb bring to the table for the team’s future, McAdoo refused to go so far as to call this the end of an era.
“This is not the end of Eli in New York. … At this point it’s my responsibility to take a look at Geno Smith and Davis Webb,” McAdoo said.