This Viral Daniel Jones Photo Will Haunt Eli Manning’s Nightmares

When his team took quarterback Daniel Jones with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Eli Manning had to know his time was coming to an end.

That is typically the case when a team takes a quarterback that high in the draft. But Manning had seen the New York Giants draft quarterbacks before, and he’d outlived every one of them.

Why should this time be any different?

Photo of Young Daniel Jones Wearing an Eli Manning Jersey Speaks Multitudes

Is it because Daniel Jones had his craft fine-tuned by the same man, David Cutliffe, that helped Eli and his brother refine their respective games? No, it’s because Daniel Jones was destined to take over for Manning since he was a little boy:

The Cutliffe-connection was a pretty good tell. It made it seem like the Giants were looking to replace him with someone who knew how to play the game just like him. But now we have photographic proof that a young Daniel Jones wanted to be Eli Manning – who he is now replacing.

If his debut last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is any indication, Jones will indeed be the quarterback of the New York Giants going forward. With him at quarterback and without the help of Saquon Barkley, Jones was able to overcome an 18-point halftime deficit and led the team to its first win of the season.

Okay, he needed a little help from the Buccaneers kicker. Still, a win is a win.

Manning a Class Act Despite Watching Giants Career Slip Away

Did seeing absolutely no hope of ever getting his job back bother Eli Manning? Absolutely not—at least not publicly.

He was one of the first to congratulate Jones after he scored the go-ahead touchdown.