Ben McAdoo “At Peace” With Eli Manning Benching Decision That Got Him Fired

Benching fan favorite Eli Manning in favor of journeyman Geno Smith likely was the nail in the coffin of ex-Giants coach Ben McAdoo’s tenure in New York – and he is at “at peace” with it.

In a piece he penned for Peter King’s new Football Morning in America venture, McAdoo wrote about the decision to go with Smith over Manning and end the 37-year-old quarterback’s consecutive starts streak at 210.

In the piece, which appears in a section called “What I Learned,” McAdoo wrote that he was at peace with how he handled benching Manning, whether the decision was right or wrong.

“I was not ending Eli’s career with the Giants; I was making sure we knew what we had behind him with a high draft choice before a big quarterback draft,” McAdoo wrote. “I gave him the option to start the games to keep his streak alive. I understand why he said no, and he was a true pro about it. My bedside manner hurt me that week. I’m working on that. I do think it was special how his former teammates and the fans rallied around him that week. But if there’s one thing I want fans of the Giants to know, it’s that I made this call to try to make the Giants stronger for the future. It probably got me fired, but I believe I did the right thing for the right reasons.”

McAdoo interviewed for several coordinator positions this offseason, but he is not on an NFL staff at this time.

After going 13-15 overall as head coach of the Giants, it seems unlikely the 41-year-old will be offered another head coaching gig in the near future.