![]() Rivers had a lovely career in San Diego and Indianapolis. He was 13-0 as a starter his first season in the NFL and appeared destined for greatness. Roethlisberger, not Manning or Rivers, won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2004. The Steelers grabbed the kid from Ohio and, thanks to an injury against the Ravens, inserted him into the lineup early in his rookie season. But there were questions about how dominating in a mid-major conference against “lesser” competition would translate to the NFL. His body was enormous, his arm was strong and he won games. What about Big Ben?īen Roethlisberger, an enormous quarterback coming out of a mid-major Miami of Ohio, slid all the way to No. They will be tied together forever because of the trade that took place, but Eli’s legacy has two rings that are lacking from Rivers’ really good career in San Diego. New York selected Philip Rivers from North Carolina State.Īnd then the two teams swapped quarterbacks. The Giants owned the fourth pick and also needed a quarterback. So… the Chargers selected Eli Manning first overall. No way, no how.īut the Chargers owned the top pick, and Eli was the top prospect. Of course the biggest draft story in 2004 was the Manning family pulling an Elway, telling the Chargers that Eli wouldn’t play for them. And boy did the big three in that class live up to the hype. We have all wondered what could have been since his tragic death.īut the most of the talk then - and now - centers on the quarterbacks. And Sean Taylor was selected fifth overall by Washington. Larry Fitzgerald, the third overall pick by Arizona, is certainly in the conversation for greatest receiver ever not-named Jerry Rice. Looking back, the 2004 NFL Draft gave us some of the true all-time greats. And Pittsburgh getting into the playoffs this year was miraculous. ![]() “Big Ben” was never on a Steelers team that finished a season with a losing record. Manning's will come down to whether voters are swayed by his two incredible Super Bowl runs or his mediocre regular-season stats-much in the same way voters will have to choose between Rivers' excellent regular-season stats and his reputation for coming up short in the postseason.The 2004 NFL Draft featured three great quarterbacks.Īs we watched the Kansas City Chiefs roll the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday evening, it was impossible to avoid the talk about this being the end of Ben Roethlisberger’s remarkable career. When it comes to Hall of Fame resumes, Roethlisberger has the best case. He wasn't as good in the postseason as Manning, but he got there more consistently. He has the most regular-season and postseason wins, has won two titles and has solid regular-season numbers. In totality, Roethlisberger has put together the best career. Roethlisberger: 5,256 yards, 30 touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 62.4 completion percentage.Rivers: 2,656 yards, 14 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 59.4 completion percentage.Manning: 2,815 yards, 18 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 60.5 completion percentage.Playoff statistics also favor Manning and Big Ben: Roethlisberger: Two titles, 10 postseason appearances, 13-8 record.Rivers: Zero titles, six postseason appearances, 5-6 record.Manning: Two titles, six postseason appearances, 8-4 record, two Super Bowl MVP awards.But when we get to playoff resumes, Manning and Roethlisberger shine, and Manning has an advantage given his Super Bowl performances:
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