On Friday, retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning discussed his 2004 Draft Day snub of the San Diego Chargers and acknowledged that his threats to hold out may have just been a bluff.
“Whether I really would have held out or not, no one knows,” Manning told Trey Wingo. “It may have just been a big bluff. But we felt it was the right move to say that and do that, and see if we could convince them not to draft me.”
Bluff or not, the Chargers weren’t interested in finding out, so they dealt Manning to the Giants in exchange for quarterback Philip Rivers and a series of other draft picks.
Both Manning and Rivers went on to have Hall of Fame-level careers, but it was Eli who stepped away from the game with two rings. Rivers never made it to The Big Game.
For some, Manning’s snub of the Chargers still doesn’t sit well all these years later. And one such person is retired tight end Antonio Gates, who is also destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I think I was frustrated in terms of who gets drafted and worries about where they’re playing?” Gates told CBS Sports Radio, via WFAN New York. “As a high school and college kid, as you move up the ladder, your dream is about playing professional sports; at that moment, to me, you should be happier about being in a position to live a dream than worried about where it is.”
Gates blames Eli’s father, Archie Manning, for devising the entire plan to avoid playing in San Diego.
“Eli still had a great career in New York, but it’s unfortunate that he had his father guide him in the way he thought was best for his son,” Gates said. “You see that with a lot of athletes, but for the most part, I felt like it was an honor and privilege to play, let alone in San Diego — who wouldn’t want to play in San Diego?”
Manning didn’t want to play in San Diego (and neither did the Chargers, apparently) and that’s really all there is to it. That decision resulted in one of the best careers for a quarterback in NFL history and, as noted earlier, two Super Bowl titles.
Would Manning have won those titles in San Diego surrounded by all the talent Rivers had at his disposal? The odds would have certainly favored him, but that’s just not how things shook out.
In the end, Gates was paired with Rivers and they played well, but could never quite get over the hump. And watching Manning hoist the Lombardi Trophy twice was undoubtedly a difficult pill for Gates and those in San Diego to swallow.
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