Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports
After missing part of the 2013 regular season finale with what was deemed a high ankle sprain, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning underwent surgery on his left ankle Thursday and will be unable to run for six weeks. That means he won’t miss any substantial offseason work, and there’s no doubt he’ll be ready to go for the start of the season, but Manning’s streak of 151 consecutive regular season starts now seems vulnerable.
Manning’s durability has kept quarterback from being an urgent need for the Giants, but he is now 33 years old with two years left on his contract and the team may need to start putting together a plan for the future. They selected Ryan Nassib in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, and he should have a clear chance to become Manning’s backup heading into next season even if a veteran free agent is added.
Is Nassib now worth attention from fantasy football owners?
Nassib did not attempt a regular season pass last season as a rookie, but he did have a solid senior season at Syracuse in 2012 (3,749 passing yards, 26 touchdowns) that put him on the radar of NFL scouts and led to some hype that he could be a first-round pick early in the pre-draft process. That obviously didn’t happen, but spending a season on the bench may actually benefit Nassib long-term.
It would obviously take Manning suffering a major injury for Nassib, or any other quarterback, to see time under center for the Giants next season. But I do think owners in very deep dynasty leagues can consider having Nassib on a roster now, if only on the prospect he becomes New York’s starter down the road or lands elsewhere with a better chance to compete for a starting job at some point.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.
