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Philip Rivers is arguably the greatest quarterback in San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers history.
In 16 seasons in Southern California, he made eight Pro Bowls, led the league in many statistical categories, was named the 2013 Comeback Player of the Year, and set multiple franchise records en route becoming a future Hall of Famer.
However, that almost never happened. He was initially drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants in the 2004 Draft, only to be traded for Eli Manning, who was planning to spurn the Chargers.
On Wednesday at the Special Spectators Senior Bowl fundraiser at Moe's Original BBQ in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, Rivers recounted the experience, getting asked to pretend to be happy that he was joining the Giants:
"I remember having to do an interview with Suzie Kolber from my living room. And I was talking to my agent, and he was saying, 'Hey, the Chargers and Giants are talking, trying to work this thing out.' And I said, well, 'I can't do a live interview. What do I do?' He said, 'Just be respectful; you're excited to be a Giant.'"
He did the usual thing that rookies do when their name is called, but something just felt off:
"So I did an interview as a Giant knowing I wasn't going to be there, which was awkward. And then my dad's mom and neighbor was a huge Giants fan. They're honking air horns. I signed a Lawrence Taylor jersey... my one autograph as a Giant. The trade went down about 45 minutes later."
Why did Philip Rivers-Eli Manning 2004 Draft-day trade happen, and what happened afterward?
The Philip Rivers-Eli Manning trade easily stands out as one of the most momentous in NFL history.
At the time, the San Diego Chargers were coming off a rough quarterback situation. Ryan Leaf had proven to be a massive bust, while Drew Brees showed promise but lacked mental fortitude. The New York Giants, meanwhile, needed a future franchise face after ditching Kerry Collins, with former MVP Kurt Warner expected to be only a stopgap option.
The trade made sense for both parties, and in hindsight, it still does. As mentioned before, Rivers became the Chargers' most successful quarterback. Manning, meanwhile, would lead the Giants to two Super Bowl wins against Tom Brady's New England Patriots, with XLII coming against a then-undefeated squad in what's still considered one of the biggest upsets in sports.
