By WFAN.com
Eli Manning's starting job is safe for at least another week, but Giants coach Pat Shurmur indicated Monday that if he does bench his star quarterback at some point this season, Alex Tanney, not rookie Kyle Lauletta, could get the call.
Shurmur was asked by a reporter whether it's a priority to get a look at Lauletta before the season ends.
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"Why are you jumping over Tanney?" Shurmur responded.
Tanney, 31, has spent time with eight NFL teams since going undrafted in 2012. He has thrown passes in only one game -- going 10-of-14 for 99 yards and a touchdown for the Titans in 2016.
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The Giants are 3-8, long shots for the playoffs and expected to move on from the 37-year-old Manning or bring in another quarterback to compete against him next season.
When asked if he believed Tanney is a potential long-term solution at quarterback, Shurmur didn't rule it out.
"Who knows?" he said. "That's where you're getting bogged down here. Who knows?"
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Shurmur's comments evoke memories of this time last year, when then-coach Ben McAdoo benched Manning in favor of Geno Smith, which triggered a backlash from fans, in part because many believed rookie Davis Webb would have the more logical replacement. McAdoo, along with general manager Jerry Reese, was fired days later. Webb was released before this season and is now the Jets' third-string QB.
Lauletta was the Giants' fourth-round draft pick in April out of Richmond. He was arrested last month for allegedly failing to obey a police officer's directions while driving to the Giants' practice facility and coming close to striking the officer with his vehicle.
