Already an expert on the older Manning quarterback, Jim Sorgi has moved to the younger sibling as he continues an unusual NFL career.
Sorgi, 29 years old, is best-known as Peyton Manning’s backup in Inianapolis, an understudy who in six years never started a game in place of the indestructible Peyton. Sorgi was considered a loyal ally, which certainly is one of the main reasons why he’s now vying to be Eli Manning’s backup with the Giants.
“I would say it helped rather than hurt,” Sorgi said recently of his friendship with Peyton. “Me having a good relationship with his brother was kind of a sounding board for me getting here and Eli opening up to me and talking to me and relying on me, confiding in me if need be. I’m sure some of that came from his brother telling him how close we were.”
Eli has proven to be as durable as Peyton, starting a team-record 87 consecutive games, the third-longest active NFL streak behind Brett Favre (285) and Peyton (192). David Carr learned that No. 2 quarterback on the Giants is a non-playing position as long as Eli is on the scene, and all concerned want to keep it that way with Sorgi on board.
The Giants on Tuesday begin a three-day mandatory mini-camp and, if the just-completed OTAs were any indication, Sorgi will be next in line behind Manning when it comes to getting practice reps. Sorgi’s competition is Rhett Bomar — a 2009 fifth-round draft pick who spent his first year on the practice squad, has a strong arm, despite a flicking motion, and a head start as far as knowing the playbook. Sorgi doesn’t have much of a track-record on the field — six touchdown passes, one interception in 16 games of mop-up action off the bench for the Colts — and at 6-foot-5 and 196 pounds is tall and rail-thin.
Sorgi said the passing attack for the Giants is similar to what he knew with the Colts.
“Obviously the run game here is more extensive than we had in Indianapolis,” he said.
In Indy, the protection calls were identified with words. With the Giants, it’s numbers.
“There’s a lot of things I’m comfortable with, a lot of things I’m uncomfortable with,” he admitted.
What he’s most comfortable with is hanging around a Manning. Sorgi met Eli a few times over the years, mostly when Eli was visiting Peyton, and ever since he signed in March, there’s been football and some golfing to start building a bond.
“Hopefully the Giants saw me as kind of a confidant to Peyton and they think I can do that with Eli,” Sorgi said. “Hopefully they believe I can go in there and play good football, if need be. I did not get to play much in Indy, but when I played I played well.”
paul.schwartz@nypost.com