The Chargers’ 2004 NFL Draft will go down as one of the most memorable moments in sports history.
After selecting Eli Manning with the No. 1 overall selection, it was only to find out that he did not want to play for the franchise. The Bolts ended up swapping quarterbacks with the Giants, ultimately getting Philip Rivers in return.
It’s safe to say Rivers had an accomplished 16-year career with the Chargers, winning 123 career games, owning more than 30 franchise records and ranking inside the top-10 of the NFL’s all-time list in various categories.
But what if former general manager A.J. Smith went in a different direction, yet still addressing the quarterback position? That’s exactly how Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon sees it in his 2004 NFL re-draft.
Instead of taking Manning or Rivers, Gagnon has the Bolts selecting Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger was the other top quarterback in that draft class, ending up being taken by the Steelers with the No. 11 overall selection.
This is complicated and was likely to be controversial no matter how it was sliced.
Former San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith continues to insist he has no regrets over drafting Eli Manning—who didn’t want to play in San Diego—and flipping him to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers. So it’s still easy to see the Bolts doing that or simply taking Rivers, considering all of the success they had with him, but we don’t really have to cross that bridge because Ben Roethlisberger has had a better career than both.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick has the playoff and Super Bowl success to match Manning as well as the individual statistics to match Rivers (their career numbers are eerily similar).
He’s the only player from this draft class who has been a Pro Bowler more than five times and won a Super Bowl. He took the Steelers to three Super Bowls in his first seven seasons. And while he’s never been a Super Bowl MVP like Manning, his consistent success trumps Eli’s flashes in the pan.
Roethlisberger has enjoyed an accomplished career with Pittsburgh, being sent to the Pro Bowl six times, winning two Lombardi Trophies and finishing as the NFL’s passing yards leader twice.
The Steelers have put an optimal supporting cast around Roethlisberger throughout the years, giving him premiere pass-catchers and solid offensive linemen to help with his success.
Meanwhile, the Chargers had a mixed bag of talent over the past decade, especially inconsistent offensive line play. So it remains to be seen how the 38-year old would’ve done if he was the pick.
What do you guys think? Do you believe Roethlisberger would have done well and earned the same amount of accolades that’s he received with the Steelers, in a Chargers uniform?