Eli Manning and Philip Rivers Story Comes Together Again

There are tons of storylines in today's AFC/NFC Championship games. One that hasn't gotten much press but is rather interesting is that the Giants and Chargers are led into today by quarterbacks that were dealt for each other.

Remember that the theme heading into the 2004 NFL Draft was that Eli Manning didn't want to play for the San Diego Chargers. San Diego owned the #1 pick in that draft. When the pick was made, Manning famously had a forced smile on his face and refused to wear the customary cap during the photo op. Maybe he knew that the New York Giants were feverishly working behind the scenes to get him.

Later in the day, New York drafted Philip Rivers with the #4 pick ... then dealt him and three draft picks to San Diego for the rights to Manning.

For New York, it has been an on/off love affair with the younger Manning. He is criticized more than any QB in the league ... yet has led the Giants to the playoffs the past three seasons and into today's NFC Championship game. Also, the Giants did a great job of not folding to San Diego's wishes to include Osi Umenyiora in any deal.

For San Diego, it has worked out extremely well. Not only did the Chargers get Rivers (who is in just his second true season), they used the three draft selections the Giants gave them to draft Shawne Merriman, Nate Kaeding and to trade for Roman Oben. In that 2004 draft, the Bolts also drafted DT Igor Olshansky, C Nick Hardwick, DE Shaun Phillips and DT Ryon Bingham.

Though the two won't be anywhere near each other today ... and Rivers may not even see the field ... it is quite interesting to see how trades like that work out for two teams down the road.

Especially if the Giants and Chargers pull the upset today and meet in Super Bowl XLII.

By the way, what a decent draft class in 2004. Bob Sanders, who just won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, was a 2nd round pick. Guys like Ben Roethlisberger, the late Sean Taylor, Larry Fitzgerald, Kellen Winslow, Tommie Harris, Vince Wilfork, Steven Jackson, Benjamin Watson and Kevin Jones were first rounders.