Eli Manning To Have Ankle Surgery, Impacting Team’s Plans To Implement New Offense

Eli Manning will have arthroscopic surgery on his ankle, leaving the New York Giants quarterback out for the next six weeks.

The procedure was planned for Thursday afternoon, with Dr. Robert Anderson performing the surgery in Charlotte, North Carolina. Reports say Manning first suffered the injury in the season finale against the Washington Redskins, though at the time it did not appear to be serious.

But the injury never properly healed, leading the team and Manning to decide on surgery.

“I went through the recovery and rehab after suffering the sprain,” said Manning. “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. Anderson clean out the ankle. The doc tells me I should be running in about six weeks. I’m looking forward to the start of the offseason program on the 21st. I will be in the weight room and in the meeting rooms so we can all learn the new offense. I got some good work in this week at Duke, and I think it’s smart to get this procedure done now so the ankle isn’t an ongoing issue. I’m eager to get to work with our new offensive coaches and system.”

Though the start of the season is still nearly five months away, the surgery comes at a difficult time for the Giants.

The team is putting in a new offense, with newly named offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo working closely with Eli Manning and the team’s other offensive players. They have already been active in the offseason, bolstering the offensive line and acquiring tight end Kellen Davis.

The team has scheduled open OTAs to begin on April 21.

Eli Manning had one of the worst years in his career in 2013, throwing for 18 touchdowns and a career-high 27 interceptions. But he has remained durable, and in fact Manning has not missed a game since becoming the team’s starting quarterback halfway through his rookie season in 2004.