Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning will always share a special connection, with the pair teaming up to win two Super Bowls for the Giants.

So when the team decided that Manning would be heading to the bench in favor of rookie Daniel Jones, head coach Pat Shurmur went as far as to reach out to Coughlin to inform him of the team's decision before it was ultimately announced.

"Pat Shurmur actually said to me 'He's your guy and I wanted you to know that I had a very difficult thing today,' and I told Pat 'Yeah, he is my guy and he'll always be my guy,'" Coughlin told ESPN's Jordan Raanan at Coughlin's 15th annual Champions for Children Gala, benefiting his Jay Fund.

Now the Jaguars' executive vice president of football operations, Coughlin also told Raanan that he knew Manning would handle the team's decision in typical Eli Manning style.

"I knew when this happened, and he knows he has my 100 percent support, but he would handle it with class and with dignity, and he will help the young guy just like Kurt Warner helped him," said Coughlin. "That's what Eli is."

Jones, of course, went on to have a dynamic NFL debut, contributing four total touchdowns and leading the Giants to a 32-31 comeback victory over Tampa Bay. For his efforts, Jones earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

The rookie will make his home debut on Sunday as the Giants welcome the Redskins to MetLife Stadium.

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