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After three seasons as the backup quarterback for the New York Giants, do we know anything useful about Ryan Nassib? We know he can run a little, because most of the time when he is playing in preseason games behind scrub offensive linemen, he is running for his life. We know that during pre-game warm-ups he throws some really pretty fade passes and corner routes, albeit lots of times to Giants staffers acting as receivers. We know he has a really awesome 90 percent completion percentage and a nearly perfect 152.1 passer rating for his career. We know he looks good on the sideline in a baseball cap.
Thing is, we have absolutely no idea what kind of NFL quarterback Nassib is, or could be. Three seasons after the Giants traded up to select Nassib in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the 26-year-old has yet to play a single meaningful snap. That's because he backs up NFL iron man Eli Manning, who plays ... and plays ... and plays. And because as long as he is able to play, Manning will continue to take every meaningful snap.
Is Nassib the next Kirk Cousins? Is he just another in a long line of backup quarterbacks who proved when they finally got to play that they were backup quarterbacks for a reason? We may never know.
Let's look a little more closely at Nassib as we continue our player-by-player profiles of the 90-man roster the Giants will bring to training camp.
Must Reads
2015 Season in Review
Nassib played in one game, mopping up in a 49-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He went 5-for-5 for 68 yards, throwing his only NFL touchdown pass. He is now 9-for-10 in his career. Other than that single moment, Nassib did a whole lor of practicing, studying, then wearing a baseball cap and watching Manning play.
2016 Season Outlook
What is there to say? The Giants have a new coach, with Ben McAdoo replacing Tom Coughlin. That isn't going to change anything for Nassib. If Manning is healthy, he will play and Nassib will sit. If he does get to play significant snaps that will be because Manning is injured and missing meaningful snaps for the first time in his career. He didn't play in the second half of the 2013 season finale against the Washington Redskins -- Curtis Painter did -- but that was at the end of a playoff-less 7-9 season, so who cares? If Nassib has to play in 2016, can the Giants win games with him calling signals? Honestly, nobody knows. If circumstances mean Nassib, in the final year of his rookie contract, does play he will finally get some regular-season film to showcase his ability to other NFL teams. It's hard to imagine that Nassib won't at least explore free agency next winter to see if any teams are interested in giving him a chance to compete for a job.