More than two decades after one of the most talked-about draft maneuvers in NFL history, Eli Manning has explained in detail why he pushed to avoid playing for the San Diego Chargers in 2004, and what he saw at a dinner table in New Orleans that convinced him the organization was not ready to win.
Manning, the two-time Super Bowl MVP who spent his entire career with the New York Giants, described the scene on an episode of the podcast Bussin' with the Boys. The Chargers had selected him with the first overall pick, but Manning made clear before the draft that he did not want to play in San Diego. The teams eventually worked out a trade, with the Chargers sending Manning to New York in exchange for Philip Rivers.
"I just didn't feel like they were the most committed team to winning at the time," Manning said. "Marty Schottenheimer was the head coach, who 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."
The dinner did not get better from there. "We are at a Marriott restaurant. Schottenheimer's mad like, 'We're in New Orleans and we're eating at a Marriott?' He's like pissed. They are kind of bickering. It just didn't seem there was a lot of agreement on things and they were committed to building a great winning franchise at that moment," Manning said.
Manning noted that if he had gone to San Diego, he likely would have sat behind Drew Brees and Doug Flutie rather than getting a chance to start early. The Chargers were coming off a 4-12 season under Schottenheimer at the time of the draft. With the Giants, Manning was thrust into the starting quarterback role over Kurt Warner. His parents did not support his effort to avoid being drafted by the Chargers, but ultimately allowed him to make his own decision.
The trade reshaped both franchises. Manning led New York to two Super Bowl titles, including a victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots led by Tom Brady, in one of the bigger upsets in Super Bowl history. The Chargers have not appeared in a Super Bowl since the 1994 season.
Manning finished his career with 366 touchdown passes and 57,023 passing yards, placing him 11th all time in both categories. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He has not yet been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
