ALBANY, N.Y. -- Eli Manning isn't the only New York Giants quarterback who will miss Saturday night's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Scratch backup Jim Sorgi, too.
Sorgi had an MRI exam Thursday and was diagnosed with a torn capsule in his right shoulder that will sideline him two to three weeks, said Matt Brei, the quarterback's agent. The good news is that the injury doesn't involve Sorgi's labrum, which was injured last season.
With Manning (12 stitches in his forehead) and Sorgi sidelined, first-year pro Rhett Bomar will start and possibly play the entire game in the Giants' first home contest at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
Needing quarterback depth, the Giants signed free agent Dominic Randolph on Thursday and waived tight end Jake Ballard, who was sidelined most of training camp because of a hamstring injury.
Sorgi, who backed up Peyton Manning for six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before signing with the Giants, was at practice in Albany on Thursday, but he wasn't immediately available for comment.
"Jim called me after the test and told me about the injury," Brei said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It's two to three weeks and just some rehab and not related to the previous injury. Compared to what it could have been, it's good news."
Sorgi was hurt while throwing a 34-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz in the fourth quarter of Monday night's 31-16 victory over the New York Jets. He was slammed by Jets linebacker Lance Laury on the play and didn't practice Wednesday because of soreness in his shoulder and ribs.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin wouldn't discuss the specifics of Sorgi's injury, only saying that the quarterback had damage to his throwing shoulder. Coughlin also wouldn't discuss a time frame for recovery until speaking with Dr. Russell Warren, the team's orthopedic surgeon.
When asked if the Giants would have to look for another veteran backup, Coughlin simply said: 'We'll see."
"He needs rest. He needs rehab, and how long will that be I can't answer that," Coughlin added.
The Giants open the season in a little more than three weeks against the Carolina Panthers.
Manning, who was ruled out of Saturday's game because of concern that wearing his helmet would break or irritate the stitches he received Monday night, should be back much earlier. He suffered a 3-inch gash on his left forehead after his helmet was knocked off, and his head hit the helmet of Jets safety Jim Leonhard.
That leaves Bomar as the only somewhat-experienced quarterback this week, although Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride hopes to give Randolph some playing time.
"This is a great opportunity for me to get much needed reps," Bomar said Thursday. "I just have to go out there and take advantage of it."
Bomar, who took all of the snaps at practice Wednesday, spent all of last season on the Giants' practice squad before being activated for the final game as the third quarterback. The one-time Oklahoma quarterback hasn't played a complete game since his senior year at Sam Houston State.
Bomar played well in limited action against the Jets, hitting 6 of 7 passes for 67 yards and one touchdown. He also had a 23-yard scramble for a first down late in the game.
"I feel I have had a pretty good camp," Bomar said. "I've tried to be more consistent. I made a lot more plays this year than last year. I had more reps. There are things I can still improve on. I am learning with every game in this offense."
Gilbride said this is the first time he has gone into a preseason game with basically one quarterback. He wants Bomar to be efficient, effective and produce lots of touchdowns, adding that the quarterback played terrific against the Jets.
"There's a lot of pressure on him because I'm sure he feels the weight of the world," Gilbride said. "Instead of looking at guys who he has been on the scout team with, he's looking at the starters in the eye and they're expecting him to lead and do the things that Eli would do, and it's not fair to expect that from him."
Gilbride said not having Manning and Sorgi will limit what the team can do on offense for the second consecutive game. Injuries to the tight ends and offensive line also limited the game plan against the Jets.
"We're not concerned. We're not worried," center Shaun O'Hara said. "I think it is exciting. I am excited for Rhett. I don't think coming into training camp he ever thought he would get an opportunity to start a game, let alone play an entire game. This is great for him."
Randolph was in an airport in Richmond, Va., awaiting a flight to a vacation in Nantucket, Mass., when he received a call from his agent. The flight had a stop in Newark, N.J., and five hours later, he was in Albany.
"It's an unbelievable opportunity," said Randolph, who passed for 13,455 yards and 117 touchdowns in four seasons at Holy Cross. "I mean this is what I've been playing for in college and this is what everyone plays for -- to get to the next level. It's a great experience. I'm trying to learn a lot, learn as much as I can for this weekend."
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
