The 2014 season is essentially lost for the New York Giants. The loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars sealed their fate as they sit 4-9 and well out of playoff contention thanks to the NFC East competition. Now, the Giants must begin looking towards the future which could a decision on Tom Coughlin's future as well as keeping their top playmakers healthy during these final three games. An injury to Eli Manning could hurt the efforts.
In Week 14's win over the Tennessee Titans, Manning spent an extended period of time with team trainers postgame and according to the injury report released this week, the quarterback is suffering from a back injury that might put the remainder of the season in jeopardy. It is uncertain the exact severity of Manning's back. He was reportedly fine during the media portion of open practice and Coughlin has downplayed any idea that he is not healthy enough to play.
"He will practice as he always practices, unless I hear anything different from him," Coughlin said, via the NY Daily News. "All I know: It's back. He functions well, but for reasons whatever, he's on the list. I think he's stronger and better (now) and so on and so forth. I don't have any question that he's going to continue to get better this week."
Manning currently holds the longest active start streak in the NFL with 164 games and if he is still working out and playing well, it seems unlikely that he will sit. However, the Giants must start to focus on next season, would this injury be reason enough to sit Manning for the remaining three games? According to ESPN, the Giants have no intentions of starting Ryan Nassib at any point this year and will let Manning keep his record intact.
One positive sign for the Giants is that Rashad Jennings is officially off the injury report after being limited against the Titans with an ankle issue. The running back has missed a significant amount of time this season with injuries, but New York is hopeful that he can make a solid comeback for the remaining three games. The Giants are preparing to face the Washington Redskins on Sunday before seeing the St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles to finish the year off.