Football fans can feel however they want about New York Giants legend Eli Manning’s Hall of Fame case, but there is no denying he defined the “Iron Man” trait throughout his 16 seasons.
Unfortunately for Jaxson Dart, he’s already missed far more games to injury than Manning, who famously started 210 consecutive games over a 10-year stretch. Last month’s knee injury is expected to keep Dart out for the rest of the regular season, and it’s unclear whether he’d be ready for a potential playoff run.
So on that front, Manning can’t directly relate to his fellow Ole Miss product, but he does have some sage advice.
"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.”
Jaxson Dart must heed New York Giants legend Eli Manning’s advice
On the one hand, Manning’s commentary is far easier said than done, seeing as he never missed a game for injury reasons. Ben McAdoo famously benched him late in 2017 to evaluate Geno Smith, and Pat Shurmur sat him two games into the 2019 season so Daniel Jones could take the reins. Unsurprisingly, McAdoo lost his job shortly thereafter, and Shurmur was fired following the season.
But that’s not to say the Manning family hasn’t battled injuries. Eli’s brother, Peyton, missed all of 2011 following neck surgery; he also had his own Iron Man streak, starting 208 straight games to open his career. Their father, Archie, spent part of the 1976 season calling New Orleans Saints games after season-ending shoulder surgery. Several of Manning’s backups, most notably David Carr and Kurt Warner, were former starters who’d either temporarily or permanently lost their jobs to injury.
And to reiterate, Manning played 16 years in the NFL. It’s also worth noting that there were never any credible reports about Manning refusing to help either Smith or Jones during those seasons, and the two-time Super Bowl champion repeatedly praised Jones before the latter’s 2024 release.
We suggest that Dart follow Eli’s advice and at least try to support Winston, and even more so if the Giants knock off the Cardinals on Sunday. It’ll be all hands on deck to build off a 3-1 start and to see where the journey takes them. Depending on how the Eagles and Cowboys respectively fare against the Rams and Texans, the Giants could have sole possession of first place atop the NFC East entering Week 5.
Not too shabby if we say so ourselves.
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