Eli Manning to Undergo Ankle Surgery

NEW YORK (NFL.com/WCBI) — The New York Giants announced quarterback Eli Manning will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle Thursday afternoon.

(Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
Manning injured his ankle on this play back in December and will have surgery Thursday afternoon.

Manning suffered a high left ankle sprain in the Giants’ 2013 regular-season finale, a 20-6 win over the Washington Redskins.

“I went through the recovery and rehab after suffering the sprain,” Manning said in a team-released statement. “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. (Robert) Anderson clean out the ankle.”

Manning said he was told he should be running in about six weeks. That time-frame would get him back on his feet in mid-May.

Running, of course, doesn’t mean practicing with teammates. The Giants are breaking in new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo; any lost time on the field could affect that process if Manning isn’t ready by OTAs.

The Giants start their offseason program on Monday, April 21, with two weeks of strength and conditioning and rehabilitation. OTAs begin May 28-30 and will recur on June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10 and June 12-13. The team will hold a mandatory mini-camp June 17-19.

Manning spoke optimistically about being in meeting rooms to study the new offense during April’s session. However, going over plays on paper isn’t the same as live simulation.

The Giants’ current backups are fifth-year pro Curtis Painter and second-year signal caller Ryan Nassib.