The NY Giants had a tough season in 2013 and quarterback Eli Manning did not play up to his usual standards and now the franchise star will be sidelined for over a month after getting ankle surgery, the front office could start thinking about the future, as the NFL draft in 2014 is deep at the QB position with Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger, David Fales, Derek Carr and Tajh Boyd as names that could be available.
Manning threw 27 interceptions last season and at 33 years old he is not a young quarterback by any stretch of the imagination and since the Giants don't have much of a succession plan going as of right now, ankle surgery could be a concern down the line. According to ESPN.com, Manning had arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle this week and it helped to clean up the injury he sustained in the final game of the season last year against the Washington Redskins. The report says that Manning will be allowed to run again after six weeks and that he will be rehabbing during that time and it includes some of the Giants offseason program.
One concern for the team is that Manning is working with a new offensive coordinator in Ben McAdoo this season and he may need some extra time this offseason to get acquainted with the new offense. Manning was previously working out with some of the Giants receivers in North Carolina and now he will be off his feet for over a month and during that time Manning said he will continue to work on the offense from a gameplan standpoint and he also said that he is eager to get back on the field to work with McAdoo. While the injury is not anything serious, it does highlight that the Giants do not have much of a plan behind Manning, much like what happened with his brother in Indianapolis when he was seriously injured. Manning's backup is Curtis Painter and while the team drafted Ryan Nassib last year, there is a good chance they only see him as a project and he may never play for the team.
Manning had a very rough season last year and that is one reason why it's troubling that he will miss part of the offseason workout program, which starts on April 21. Manning could be ready by the time OTA workouts start at the end of May and he should be all healed up by the time minicamp starts on June 17. Last season Manning was down on his numbers across the board, putting up decreased completion percentage, touchdowns, quarterback rating and yards per attempt while only increasing his interceptions and that's not a good thing.
Manning has been extremely durable and that is one reason why the team has not had to worry about his health, as Manning has started 151 straight games since taking over as a rookie. Manning has avoided serious injury during his career and while he dealt with plantar fasciitis one season, he has not missed a single start since taking over for Kurt Warner a decade ago. The 33 year old is not an elderly quarterback by any stretch, but it may get Reese to think about taking a name like Murray or McCarron in the later rounds.
