Eli Manning Reveals Why He Refused To Play For Chargers

Eli Manning wanted nothing to do with the Chargers.

To refresh your memory, Eli Manning wasn’t originally drafted by the New York Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft. Instead, Eli was the No. 1 overall pick of the San Diego Chargers, a team for whom he never played for. Eli was quickly traded to the Giants after he told the Chargers that he would sit out for the entire 2004 season if he wasn’t traded.

During a recent interview on 10 Questions with Kyle Brandt, Eli finally revealed why he refused to play in San Diego.

“It was my decision having talked with my agent, coaches, [general managers] and owners,” Manning said. “Going through the draft process, I was just worried about the Chargers organization at the time. I felt it was the right decision and I had a little pull. I quietly tried to say ‘Hey, please don’t draft me, it can be our secret,’ and they didn’t keep the secret part very well.”

“It wasn’t my Dad. He was trying to take the heat off of me, he knew I was going to get criticized,” Manning said. “After that, the Chargers turned it around, they got Shawne Merriman, then Drew Brees started playing great, then Philip (Rivers) started playing great, they went to AFC Championship games, they’re making playoffs and turned things around.”

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ELI MANNING on 10 QUESTIONS‼️

-All about Monday Night Football
-Ever sick of being the little brother?
-Is this ad w/ @obj the 🐐 Manning commercial?
FULL EP: https://t.co/Q5GYFoesLt pic.twitter.com/AaDadjZgpx

— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) October 6, 2021

Even though Eli won Two Super Bowls for the Giants, San Diego’s record was better over the span of Eli’s career.

But all that matters is the hardware.

Eli made the right call…

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