Eli Manning has been durable and remarkably injury-free in his 10 years with the Giants, starting 151 consecutive regular-season games. But he is not invulnerable. Unable to shake off the after-effects of a high left ankle sprain he suffered in the Dec. 29 regular-season finale, Manning on Thursday underwent an arthroscopic procedure — the first surgery of his NFL career.
The surgery was performed Dr. Robert Anderson, a foot and ankle specialist in Charlotte, N.C. The procedure, a debridement, cleaned out of the affected area to hasten the healing process. The prognosis is Manning should be able to run in about six weeks.
Ever since he was forced out of the last game of the season against the Redskins, Manning, 33, has been rehabbing the ankle, but it did not respond as he had hoped.
“I went through the recovery and rehab after suffering the sprain,” Manning said. “I was still experiencing some discomfort as I began my normal offseason preparation, and after consultation, we felt the right thing was to have Dr. Anderson clean out the ankle.’’
Manning was hurt late in the second quarter of a 20-6 victory over the Redskins when defensive lineman Chris Baker beat guard Dallas Reynolds and got a clean shot at Manning after he tossed an incomplete pass. Manning’s left leg got rolled up. Clearly limping, he stayed in for one more play, a pass off the hand of tight end Brandon Myers that became Manning’s 27th interception of the season.
The Giants start their offseason workout program April 21; Manning will likely not be able to run until the third week of May at the earliest. This past week, he took part, as he usually does, in workouts at Duke, throwing to receivers Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham. The Giants’ first organized team activity practice will be May 28, just short of seven weeks after Manning’s surgery.
“I’m looking forward to the start of the offseason program on the 21st,’’ Manning said. “I will be in the weight room and in the meeting rooms so we can all learn the new offense. I got some good work in this week at Duke, and I think it’s smart to get this procedure done now so the ankle isn’t an ongoing issue. I’m eager to get to work with our new offensive coaches and system.”
This is perhaps the most important offseason of Manning’s 10-year NFL career. He is coming off his worst season since his 2004 rookie year, with a career high in interceptions and a career-high 39 sacks. His quarterback rating of 69.4 was the lowest since he was a rookie, a big reason why the Giants lost their first six games and finished 7-9 and out of the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years. For the first time since his rookie year, Manning will be learning a brand-new offense, as longtime offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has been replaced by Ben McAdoo, a former Packers assistant who brings with him a new playbook for Manning to learn and master.
The Giants will begin their organized team activity practices on May 28, but most of the work for the first month will be in the classroom and weight room. The field work is more individual-based. They conclude with a mandatory mini-camp June 17-19. In addition to McAdoo, the Giants also added newly hired Danny Langsdorf from Oregon State as their quarterbacks coach, another relationship for Manning to forge.
The other two quarterbacks on the roster are Ryan Nassib, entering his second year, and veteran Curtis Painter, who was re-signed in free agency.