Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones looked good in the preseason, now he's shutting it down as the regular season, Eli Manning-led Giants will takeover.
But despite stepping aside, Jones said on Thursday he still plans on continuing to improve while watching from the sideline.
"I think there are a lot of ways to improve even if you are not getting as many reps," Jones said following the Giants' preseason finale against the Patriots on Thursday. "It'll be different. It'll be laid out differently how we're preparing. I look forward to that, it'll be another opportunity to kind of learn and prepare that way."
"I've learned a whole lot so far from how we're working, and I look forward to the next step," Jones added.
Head Coach Pat Shurmur described said plan, which will include Jones taking extra reps before practice, after practice, plus during special teams drills. He'll work on whatever the starting offense is working on.
"On his own time, under our direction, we get him as ready as we can," Shurmur said.
Without injury, it seems unlikely that Jones would get into the lineup any time soon. The Giants front office has thrown a lot of support behind Eli Manning, including team President and CEO John Mara who proclaimed, "I hope Eli has a great year and Daniel never sees the field."
But at minimal, the team and fans are a bit more intrigued after Jones' strong preseason which saw him go 29-for-34 passing for 416 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Preseason defenses are often described as "vanilla," but those are some strong numbers.
Regardless, the Giants still need him to remain focused and locked in on the sideline. One way or another, he'll eventually be the team's starter. SNY's Ralph Vacchiano reported on Friday that the decision on Jones getting into the lineup sits squarely in Shumur's hands.