Eli Manning on injury report â€” for 1st time in nearly 3 years!

Without saying a word, after less than one season to study the subject, Rashad Jennings — in a display of physical comedy — does a wonderful impersonation of Eli Manning's subtle but ever-present shoulder shrug after he shakes off a hit on the quarterback.

"His little thing he does,'' Jennings said Wednesday. "He got me doing it sometimes.''

A few minutes earlier, Manning was shrugging those shoulders for a different reason as he insistently and somewhat sheepishly stressed he was fine, despite what it said on the injury report the Giants put out that morning. It listed his name and "back'' as the reason why he was included — the first time this season he has appeared on the list.

"I don't know if I really deserve to be on an injury report,'' Manning said. "They kind of told me they had to list something. I said, 'OK.' I can't really control that.

"If I were truly injured that would be fine. I don't really consider myself injured right now. I didn't earn the right, exactly. What did they go with?''

Informed he was listed as having an issue with his back, Manning said, "That's generic enough. That works.''

Alarms go off whenever there's a hint of any issue with Manning, given he nearly has been immune to any medical or physical ailments in his 11 years with the Giants. He has started 164 consecutive regular-season games, the longest active streak in the league. Including the postseason, Manning has started 175 straight games heading into Sunday's rematch with the Redskins at MetLife Stadium.

Ah yes, the Redskins. They are up to their usual tricks when it comes to turning the wheel and seeing which lever stops on which quarterback. Since Manning arrived in 2004 and started for more than a decade, the Redskins have sorted and sifted through 10 different starting quarterbacks. Who can forget Mark Brunell, Patrick Ramsey, Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck, Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy?

Heck, RG3, Cousins and McCoy have all started games this season for the Redskins.

"It is quite the merry-go-round here,'' first-year coach Jay Gruden said. "You want to have stability at the position, you really do, but you also want one of the quarterbacks to step in and really when it is their turn, to take control. Unfortunately, as an offensive group, we haven't had that opportunity for a quarterback to really take that over. We've still got three weeks to figure that out.''

One of the reasons Eli Manning is so popular with Giants fans is the fact that he's so durable.Photo: Getty Images

Gruden doesn't even know who will start this weekend. The quarterback du jour, McCoy, is dealing with a sprained neck. He practiced Wednesday on a limited basis. If he is unable to play, Griffin will start against the Giants.

The Giants have been immune to such indecision and uncertainty with the most important position on the field. Following last week's 36-7 victory over the Titans, Manning spent extra time in the trainers' room and afterward said it was nothing more than "the wear and tear of the NFL.''

He stressed there was no one play that caused any increased soreness in his back.

"It wasn't a hit,'' he said. "Again, I feel good, it wasn't a play or anything. I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'm not.''

Manning was listed as having been limited in practice and said he was told to take a few plays off, giving backup Ryan Nassib some extra work.

"A few passes we've thrown 1,000 times, let Ryan get a few reps,'' Manning said.

Nassib appreciated the work but knows the deal. "Eli's a tough cat,'' he said. "He's been like that his whole career. I know there's no doubt he'll be ready to go.''

Jennings is impressed with Manning's durability.

"He may not get the attention he deserves in physicality because of his demeanor, because of his approach to the game,'' Jennings said. "But he's one of the toughest quarterbacks I've been around.''

If he had his way, Manning would have preferred his team not identify the specific area that's bothering him, in this case, his back.

"Obviously you don't want to give them an area to attack,'' he said.

It has been nearly three years since the last time Manning was on an injury report. He appeared on it the week leading into the 2012 NFC Championship victory over the 49ers, when he started but could not finish practice because of a stomach bug.

"Been a while,'' Manning said. "We did all right that next game.''

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