Manning suffered a helmetless collision with the facemask of Jets safety Jim Leonhard in a preseason game on Monday and after undergoing several tests — and receiving 12 stitches on his forehead — doctors have determined that he is unfit to play in the Giants' preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.
Despite feeling fine after the injury, even insisting he could go back in and play, doctors have cited that wearing a helmet over Manning's fresh stitches could hamper the healing process and playing so soon after the injury is not a smart option. The young quarterback was forced to mostly watched practice on Wednesday, and participated in only a few one-on-one throwing drills with a baseball hat on.
Manning underwent a series of tests on Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, and passed the baseline testing for a concussion. Although he's disappointed with the fact he's not out on the field, Manning is happy he didn't incur far worse injuries in the collision.
"No headaches, no blurred vision, maybe the first night had a little headache from getting the stitches, but when I woke up the next morning I felt pretty good," Manning said, as reported by ESPN.com. "No other injuries [from the hit]. Neck feels fine. Feels pretty good. Could have been worse. It was more me kind of hitting Leonhard. He didn't come in and hit me. Could have been something to the nose or broken something."
Normally, Giants backup quarterback Jim Sorgi would be called upon in this situation, but he remains questionable for Saturday with soreness in his shoulder and ribs due to a hit he took after throwing a touchdown pass in Monday night's preseason matchup. Therefore, third-stringer Rhett Bomar is currently the best option to start against the Steelers.
