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Eli Manning will start, Spagnuolo says he discussed decision with Mara

New York Giants vs Oakland Raiders

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 03: Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants warms up prior to their game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 3, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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Geno Smith has been benched after one game, and Eli Manning is back as the Giants’ starting quarterback.

Giants interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo says he made the decision, but he added that he discussed the matter with Giants owner John Mara.

“Eli Manning will be the quarterback for this team in this game,” Spagnuolo said. “When Mr. John Mara and I talked, one of the first things he asked was about the quarterback situation, and I said, ‘John, my gut is right now Eli should be the starter.’”

Owners don’t usually get involved in personnel decisions, but the situation with the Giants this year is highly unusual: Coach Ben McAdoo benched Manning, a franchise icon, last week, only to get fired this week. Now McAdoo is gone and Manning is back.