Michael Hickey — USA Today Sports
As the current New York Giants depth chart stands at the moment, they are holding four quarterbacks. In addition to starter Eli Manning, the Giants have David Carr, rookie Ryan Nassib and former Indianapolis Colts’ Curtis Painter. Manning has never missed a start in his NFL career, but you can never be too sure in a league that is fairly violent.
Still, the quarterback position is the absolute least of their worries.
Manning is asked to carry the team most times because of their deficiencies in other areas. He was able to carry them successfully in the 2011 season when they won their second championship in five seasons. However, he wasn’t able to do so successfully as the Giants were unable to make the playoffs last season.
With all of this being said, there is no reason for the Giants to be holding four quarterbacks. The Giants have had Carr around for several years, so they trust him to be a valuable backup in case something goes wrong with Manning. Nassib is their fourth-round draft pick, and some believed he was a first-round talent. He isn’t going anywhere.
That leaves Painter as the odd man out. He was just signed this offseason anyway, so it isn’t surprising that the Giants will eventually let go of him during training camp. The Giants will ultimately have to cut their roster down to 53 by the end of preseason, so they may be waiting until then.
It’s a little strange that New York even decided to pick up a fourth quarterback. They could’ve used that spot to check out another player who can possibly make the team. Also, he’ll be taking valuable reps away from Carr and Nassib in preseason if he lasts. The Giants would love to get Nassib comfortable with the offense in the event Manning goes down with an injury.
At this point, Painter will use this preseason to audition for backup jobs with other teams. If he doesn’t impress, he may very well find his way out of the league permanently sooner than later.
