The Giants do not have to look very far to understand the fragility of a key player’s health.
The sight of 23-year-old running back David Wilson — awaiting potential make-or-break career news on his injured neck from a Monday doctor’s appointment — standing on the sideline during the past two days’ practices is enough of a reminder about how swiftly a player’s health or career can be taken away.
It’s safe to say most Giants fans — if not the Giants’ brass — have taken for granted how fortunate they have been with Eli Manning, who has been not only the most durable quarterback in the NFL, but also among the most durable players in NFL history during his 10-year run as their starter.
Manning has not missed a game since becoming the Giants’ starting quarterback midway through his rookie season in 2004.
His 151 consecutive starts represent the longest active streak among all NFL players and the third-longest by a quarterback in league history.
In last season’s finale against the Redskins, Manning sprained his left ankle severely enough that he had surgery on it in April, a procedure described as a debridement of the ankle, performed by foot and ankle specialist Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C.
That injury, which fortunately did not cost the Giants a game (or more) with Manning out of the lineup, has to give the team pause for a moment to think about whether they’re properly stocked at backup quarterback, where they hope Ryan Nassib, in his second season, will be a viable answer in case of emergency.
If not Nassib, the other option is veteran Curtis Painter, who used to back up Eli’s brother, Peyton, in Indianapolis to mixed results.
Manning will start against the Bills on Sunday night in the preseason opener in Canton, Ohio, and play a few series before giving way to Nassib and Painter.
They are two players the Giants need to find out a lot more about — particularly Nassib.
Barring some sort of miraculous development from Nassib this summer or Painter showing something he has yet to show in his five years in the league, this is what the Giants know: They cannot afford to lose Manning for any period of time more than a game or so and survive.
Asked on Friday if he can imagine the Giants offense without Manning behind center, fullback Henry Hynoski stammered for a moment, saying, “Oh, no…not at all…Eli is the heart and soul of our team, not just the offense. He’s who fuels us. He’s what drives us.”
Asked if he thinks he could have played the following week after the ankle injury, Manning said: “I don’t know…I thought of that the next week when I was in rehab and how I was feeling. I know I would have done everything I could to be out there, but you never know.”
Considering he later had surgery on the ankle, there’s a pretty good chance he might have missed a game or two.
So a mission in these preseason games, beginning with Sunday night, is finding out if Nassib or Painter is dependable enough to hold the fort should Manning be knocked out.
Nassib, who joked that Manning is “the indestructible man,” said he feels worlds more comfortable in his second training camp than he did as a rookie.
“Last training camp, I used to get lost on my drive to work,” Nassib said. “Now I get here on time and am able to focus a little bit more with a lot less distractions.”
Who’s No. 2?
“I don’t pay much attention to depth charts,” Painter said. “The No. 1 goal for anybody is to make this team better.”
The Giants will be better if either Nassib or Painter (or both) show them enough signs in these preseason games that they can be depended upon should the unthinkable happen.
“You never know in this league,” Manning said. “You can get brought down the wrong way or get twisted. Some things are unavoidable.”
“You’re one play away from it being your last, so you can’t take anything for granted,” Hynoski said. “It’s like what happened with David. That set things in perspective.”
It is a perspective and reality the Giants must be prepared to face at a position they have not had to worry about for a decade.