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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Tyler Henry

Eli Manning discusses Daniel Jones, Odell Beckham Jr. and more

Retired New York Giants quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP, Eli Manning, is continuing his partnership with Quaker Oats. This time he is giving fans a chance to go to next year’s Super Bowl via the “Quaker Pregrain Contest.”

Back in October, Manning sat down with Giants Wire to talk about the Quaker Hunger Clock campaign. This week, he took to Twitter to give an update on the hunger clock ahead of Super Bowl Sunday.

On Tuesday, Manning again sat down with Giants Wire on behalf of Quaker to talk about the contest, Daniel Jones, Odell Beckham Jr., and more.

The Quaker Pregrain Contest

“I’m excited to partner with Quaker and to invite fans to show how they ‘pregrain’ before the Big Game for a chance to attend next year’s Super Bowl in person,” Manning said. “Fans can enter the contest by going on TikTok and following quaker and uploading their own ‘pregrain’ video to show how they prepare with Quaker Oats for the big game using the caption #QuakerPregrain #Entry. So fans can go upload a video of them using Quaker Oats and enter the contest. (They) can do it now until Super Bowl Sunday this year for a chance to go to next year’s Super Bowl.

“It’s just a great experience to go there and take it all in. From the pre-game stuff, to go to the game, the halftime show — just the environment of what’s going on and just to watch two teams go after it. The best teams in the NFL and one of them be crowned the champion. It’s really a remarkable experience and any fan would love going to that.”

Daniel Jones' development

“I thought Daniel played great this whole year,” Manning said. “It wasn’t easy. He had to make great decisions, keep the team in the game until the fourth quarter. He was able to make some big plays in the fourth quarter. I thought he had his best game of the season in the playoff game in Minnesota which was so fun to watch. So happy for him and the whole team — not only just making the playoffs but getting a playoff win was great.

“I’m proud of his development over these last five years. It hasn’t been easy with new coaches and new offensive coordinators. He hasn’t been in an offense to make it his, where he knows exactly what the coach is going to call. He can coach it up, he can work with the players in the offseason and teach it how the offensive coordinator teaches it. So I think the more time he can stay in this offense, I think it fits him well and then also get some guys around him. Add some players but also keeping their base guys.

“Hopefully, he gets to stay here a long time and be the quarterback for a long time.”

Retaining Saquon Barkley

“Well, it’s important to keep the guys who have played well and are your core guys who you think can continue to get better and help the team,” Manning said. “So Saquon had a great year this past season and now he’s back healthy. He just looked strong and able to make big plays.

“Obviously, they have a lot of business decisions to make on both defense and offense, many of them important guys, so I know they’ll be working hard and trying to figure that out trying to keep as many of those core guys as possible.”

Prioritizing adding talent at the WR position?

“I think that would be a priority. Getting a No. 1 receiver, bring in some guys who can win those one-on-one matchups. You know, if you’re running the ball well and you have single high on the outside, you’ve got to have a guy who can win out there and open up things. Someone who can draw some double coverage that would open up the whole offense and the running game and so many things. So I would think that would be a priority to go get a good receiver whether it be in the draft or free agency,” Manning said.

Interested in coaching in the future?

“I don’t see coaching in the future besides maybe some 4th-grade basketball, maybe some flag football for my little guy in a few years,” Manning said. “But I think that’s the extent of my coaching. Maybe some Pro Bowl, which is flag football, so I’m just starting. I thought this would be a good opportunity to jump into the flag football coaching deal so that in a few years when my little guy is old enough, I’ll have a base on some good plays and some good thoughts.

“But no, I like what I’m doing with the Giants and kind of doing some TV stuff and some media stuff, and I’ll leave the coaching stuff to the experts.”

Should Giants be interested in Odell Beckham Jr.

“I think it’s interesting. I think a lot of it is just trying to see his health and I think probably why it didn’t work out this year, from what I heard, is that he wasn’t healthy enough to come in and play in the playoffs. I think that’s why it got pushed back and didn’t work out this year.

“I’m sure he’ll get healthy in the offseason. He is a guy who can make some plays and can win some one-on-one matchups and can make those explosive big plays in the passing games. So he’s a great talent and I think somebody will come after him and sign him. He will make a team better.”

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