Eli Manning Injury: New York Giants QB Is One Tough Dude

Eli Manning is slowly but surely showing the world that he is one tough dude, both physically and mentally.

After officially taking over the Giants’ offense from Kurt Warner back in 2004, Manning was given a one-year grace period by the Big Blue’s faithful.

By late 2006, that grace period was long over. 

Manning was not progressing as quickly as most had expected, and as a result, he was forced to endure the full wrath of a furious Giants’ fan base. 

Welcome to New York.

By mid-2007 Manning was dubbed “Eli The Terrible” by the New York Post after throwing four interceptions in a 41-17 loss to the Vikings, and was one more bad game away from being chased out of town by an angry, pitch-fork-wielding mob of men wearing off-the-rack blue jerseys.

What many had forgotten was that, at the time, Manning was playing through a separated right shoulder as if it were nothing.

All was of course forgotten when the Giants pulled off arguably the greatest upset in NFL history by defeating the New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.   

In less than three months, Manning had gone from “Eli The Terrible” to dethroning Derek Jeter as the new prince of New York.

Last year, Manning gracefully played through an injury—plantar fasciitis—that would have had 99 percent of the population lying on the couch for weeks.  Despite enduring this horrifically painful injury all season, Manning managed to put together one of the most statistically solid seasons of his career—and we haven't even taken into account the poor play by the offensive line, the young receiver core, and the fact that there was no running game to speak of.

Last night, Manning once again displayed a level of toughness that has been long under-appreciated.   

Early in the second quarter of the Giant’s first pre-season game against their former house guests, and now equal equity owners, the New York Jets, Manning called for an audible on third-and-goal from the Jets' five-yard line—only he forgot to tell the Giant’s offensive bull dog, also known as Brandon Jacobs, about the play change.

As the ball was snapped, Jacobs barreled towards the line of scrimmage expecting a handoff while Manning attempted to drop back into the pocket. The two collided and the force of Jacobs’ 264 pound body knocked Manning’s helmet loose before Jet’s linebacker Calvin Pace swooped in and knocked Manning’s helmet 15 feet from his head. Manning’s bare forehead smacked directly into safety Jim Leonhard’s facemask.

Several seconds later, older Giant’s fans thought they were transported back to 1964 as they saw Manning down on one knee with blood gushing from his forehead. Those fans not old enough to remember Y.A. Tittle were just horrified by the Friday the 13th-esque gruesome scene transpiring in front of them.

Manning split his forehead open when he smashed into Leonhard’s helmet, and it required 12 stitches to close the three-inch gash.

After all, Manning has been through a lot both physically and emotionally over the past five years, a simple gash to the forehead probably seemed like nothing.

“It's really not an injury,” Manning said before leaving the $1.3 billion, yet-to-be-named New Meadowlands Stadium—thank you Wall Street. “Nothing serious. I really feel like I could go back out and play right now."

Despite the baby face and goofy younger brother persona, Manning is quickly approaching a Favreian level of toughness. After all, Manning has yet to miss a start since taking the reins from Kurt Warner back in 2004.  

He may never be known as the best quarterback in the league, and he may never fully emerge from the shadow Peyton had cast long before Eli ever took an NFL snap, but by God, Eli has shown that he is one tough dude. It’s time for Giants fans to start appreciating all that this man has endured, both physically and mentally, during the course of his still very young career.