Eli Manning knows better than most how to make every snap count, and that’s the message he’s passing along to Jaxson Dart as the Giants quarterback faces a lost stretch because of injury.
Dart’s knee injury last month is expected to keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season, and it remains unclear whether he would be ready if the Giants make a playoff push. Manning can’t exactly speak from the same experience - he famously never missed a game for injury during his 16 NFL seasons and started 210 consecutive games over a 10-year span - but he still has advice for the younger Ole Miss alum.
"Don’t make this a wasted year because of injury,” Manning told ESPN Radio’s Gary Myers on Saturday.
“You can still learn [and] continue to see what they’re doing,” Manning continued. “Be a resource for Jameis [Winston], watch some film for him, do those things, and be helpful and be around and continue to grow and learn this system.”
That’s easier said than done for a player who expected to be on the field, especially since Manning never had to navigate an injury shutdown of his own. His career did include a couple of benchings - Ben McAdoo turned to Geno Smith late in 2017, and Pat Shurmur moved to Daniel Jones two games into the 2019 season - but those weren’t injury situations, and both coaches were out soon after.
The Manning family has dealt with its share of injury turmoil, though. Peyton Manning missed all of 2011 after neck surgery, and he also had an Iron Man run of his own with 208 straight starts to open his career.
Archie Manning spent part of the 1976 season calling New Orleans Saints games after season-ending shoulder surgery. And Eli spent time around several backups who had been starters themselves, including David Carr and Kurt Warner.
There’s also no indication Manning ever refused to help Smith or Jones during those seasons. In fact, he repeatedly praised Jones before Jones was released in 2024.
For Dart, the path forward is pretty clear: take Manning’s advice and stay involved, especially if the Giants beat the Cardinals on Sunday. With a 3-1 start already in the books, New York would be trying to keep building - and depending on what the Eagles and Cowboys do against the Rams and Texans, the Giants could enter Week 5 alone in first place in the NFC East.
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Giants Win Got Overshadowed By A Viral MetLife Officiating Moment
The Giants Week 4 win over the Cardinals came with the usual mix of physical play and sideline frustration, but the postgame conversation quickly drifted away from the final score. A video from MetLife Stadium began making the rounds on social media after a line judge appeared to direct an expletive at Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during the game, turning a routine officiating scene into the sort of viral clip that can swallow the aftermath of a Sunday afternoon.
McBride still had a quiet but steady day in the passing game, finishing with seven receptions for 31 yards as Arizona fell 36-24. For the Giants, the result was the headline they wanted, but the officiating moment became the one people kept replaying, adding an awkward layer to a game that was supposed to be remembered for New York controlling the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Just Got An Officiating Controversy Theyll Want To See
A sideline moment from MetLife Stadium is drawing as much attention as the game itself after a line judge was caught on video appearing to use profanity directed at Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during Arizonas Week 4 meeting with the Giants. The clip spread quickly on social media and added an odd officiating wrinkle to a game that already had plenty going on for both sides.
McBride still managed seven catches for 31 yards, but the Cardinals could not turn that work into enough offense in a 36-24 loss. For Giants fans, the incident is less about the final score than the kind of officiating controversy that can linger long after the game is over, especially when it plays out in full view on a viral clip. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Win Came With A Cost And A New Line Question
The Giants latest win over the Cardinals gave them a clean home mark for the first time since 2008, but it came with more than a few reminders of how fragile a season can feel in the NFL. New York came out of the game dealing with three injuries, with Jason Pinnock in concussion protocol, Braxton Berrios sidelined by a foot issue and Chauncey Golston hurt in the neck area, turning a satisfying afternoon into one that demanded an immediate injury check.
There was at least one encouraging development up front, where Bryan Hudson made his first NFL start at center and held up well enough to draw praise from John Harbaugh. Harbaugh also made it clear the move was temporary because John Michael Schmitz was out, but it still leaves the Giants with a familiar offensive line question as they move deeper into the schedule and try to keep building on their early home success. [Read more 🡒]