Youngest of the famed Manning household, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning always has been the little brother. With the Giants selecting former Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib in the fourth round of Saturday's 2013 NFL Draft, Eli will have a chance to play big brother.
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Manning said Sunday he is excited to work with Nassib, but it didn't make him fear his own NFL mortality.
"I understand that one day it will end," Manning said, via Newsday. "You never know what's going to happen, so you have to take advantage of it and work hard to make sure that every year that you play, you do everything you can to win another championship."
Manning said he called Nassib on Saturday to welcome him to the Giants family. While Manning knows he'll be expected to help groom Nassib, Manning also expects to reap the benefits of having the young, intelligent play caller in the film room.
"I think it's always good to have a young quarterback who can come in and be prepared," Manning said. "You never know what happens in this league and you always have to have quality players on your team at quarterback."
Barring injury, Manning, entering his 10th NFL season, isn't close to the end of his career. But late in the draft, taking an asset like Nassib was a savvy move for general manager Jerry Reese. Not only could the rookie quarterback provide insurance if Manning is injured (something the Indianapolis Colts didn't have when Eli's older brother, Peyton, was injured), the Giants might end up trading him in several years to a quarterback-needy team for a pick higher than a fourth-rounder.
Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.
