Quarterback Eli Manning not wanting to play for the then San Diego Chargers after they made him the first overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft ultimately changed the fates of two different franchises.
The Chargers eventually traded Manning’s rights to the New York Giants, and he is now revered among Giants fans as a franchise legend. During a recent appearance on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, Manning addressed the perception that his father and New Orleans Saints Hall of Famer Archie Manning was responsible for Eli rejecting the Chargers over 20 years ago.
Eli Manning’s parents “weren’t supportive” of his decision to reject the Chargers
“My parents really weren’t supportive,” Eli Manning said about his not wanting to play for the Chargers, per Kevin Patra of the NFL’s website. “My dad didn’t like the idea. He came to my defense and supported me after everything was going down. … Afterward, he took the brunt of a lot of the criticism. People were saying, ‘You played in New Orleans. All those years you didn’t win. So you are trying to dictate where your son is going.’ He just kind of bit his tongue and said, ‘This is what Eli wants to do. I support him.’ He kind of did some media to save me from taking all the hits.”
Giants fans are grateful that Eli Manning received such support in the early days of his pro career. He went on to guide the Giants to a pair of Super Bowl victories, and he earned Most Valuable Player Award honors for both of those wins. While quarterback and 2004 draft choice Philip Rivers played well for the Chargers through the 2019 season, he never led the team to a single Super Bowl appearance.
Why Eli Manning didn’t want to play for the Chargers
“I just didn’t feel like they were the most committed team to winning at the time,” Eli Manning added about not wanting to end up with the Chargers. “Marty Schottenheimer was the head coach. He was awesome. Had great respect for him. But they came to work me out in New Orleans… went to dinner, and there was just friction between the head coach, general manager [A.J. Smith], the owners [Spanos family]. They are all yelling — kind of like fighting. We are at a Marriott restaurant. Schottenheimer’s mad like, he’s like, ‘We’re in New Orleans and we’re eating at a Marriott?’ He’s like p—. They are kind of bickering. It just didn’t seem there was a whole lot of agreement on things and they were committed to building a great winning franchise at that moment.”
That get-together at the Marriott became quite the iconic meal as it pertained to the future of the Giants. Meanwhile, the Chargers still haven’t played in a Super Bowl since they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in January 1995.
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