Archie Manning: Benching breaks Eli's heart

Eli Manning had to hold back tears when he discussed the New York Giants' decision to bench him for the rest of the season.

It's apparent the move deeply affected the 14-year veteran, but his father, Archie Manning, made that abundantly clear.

"This breaks his heart," the senior Manning said to Gary Myers of the New York Daily News on Wednesday.

"And that's OK. It's supposed to."

The move signals the end of the Giants quarterback's streak of 210 consecutive games started, but it may also mark the beginning of the end of his time in New York.

In the short term, however, the Giants are merely opting to give Geno Smith some playing time and afford the same to rookie Davis Webb.

"It's football. It's life," said Archie. "Eli has such a passion for playing for the Giants. I think people up there, people who have been around him the whole 14 years, kind of understand that. Eli just absolutely loves being the Giants' quarterback.

"Eli is not bitter. Just hurt."