It is not difficult to follow the sound bites and come to the readily apparent conclusion that yes, indeed, Eli Manning will start the regular-season opener against the Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, because coach Pat Shurmur believes the 38-year-old quarterback gives the Giants the best chance to win.

Shurmur has danced around this announcement, but his refusal to come out and say it helps fuel the speculation, much of it misguided, that there is a chance rookie Daniel Jones — based on one impressive preseason performance after another — is ready and could possibly nudge Manning aside as the opening-day starter.

Jones checked off another box in Thursday night’s 25-23 victory over the Bengals in Cincinnati. This time, he showed great resilience tossing a key pass to set up a touchdown one play after he got drilled with what he said was the hardest hit he’s ever felt on a football field. This serves to embellish the Giants’ burgeoning faith in the 22-year-old they selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. This does not, however, change the depth chart at quarterback.

“I’ve said it all along: Eli is our starter, and we’re getting Daniel ready to play,” Shurmur said Friday. “I think he’s done a good job in the preseason. As I’ve mentioned all along, he’s getting better. And he’s going to continue to do that, so that at whatever time we need him to play, he’ll be ready.”

This is tidy enough, but also somewhat inconclusive. After all, Shurmur could hush all of this chatter by stating unequivocally that Manning gets the start against the Cowboys. So Shurmur was asked again whether this means Manning is definitely the Week 1 starter.

This is where irritation arrived at the scheme.

“I just said Eli is the starter,” Shurmur said, increasingly tersely. “Didn’t I just say that? Excuse the fact that I had to repeat it, but I felt like I just said that. Anyway, it’s all good.”

Perhaps Shurmur wants to maintain the illusion that Jones could vault over Manning to serve as an incentive for the rookie, rather than simply labeling him the No. 2 quarterback. There are no indications Jones needs this sort of motivation. He has completed 83 percent of his passes in the first three preseason games with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 140.1. He also has fumbled three times, losing two.

Shurmur, though, is fully aware the preseason is a time for vanilla defenses and minimal strategizing. The regular season is an entirely different challenge, one Manning at the moment is far better-suited to handle.

The experience chasm is real, but so is the impression Jones has made this summer. His maturity and productivity will be remembered by Shurmur if Manning and the Giants struggle and the temptation increases to get the kid on the field. After all, Shurmur makes no secret of his belief that when he calls on Jones, Jones will be ready.