They were selected within the first 11 picks of the 2004 NFL Draft. Each has signed a lucrative contract extension within the past 16 months and each has helped turn his team into an annual Super Bowl contender.
Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers always seem to be linked, whether it’s by draft class, gaudy stats, or now — with Rivers and the Chargers agreeing to a $93M contract extension — money. So who would you rather have under center? Good question:
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Stats » Roethlisberger and Manning each have 71 career starts, so it’s easy to compare their numbers. Ben edges Eli in touchdowns (101 to 98) and passing yards (14,974 to 14,623). He has a much higher completion percentage. But his stats took a big step backward in 2008 (touchdowns and completion percentage down, interceptions up), while Peyton’s kid brother enjoyed his best season. Still, Rivers’ monster 2008 campaign (34 TDs, 4,009 yards) and ridiculous career TD-INT ratio (78-36 in 48 career starts) is hard to beat.
Edge » Rivers
Success » Rivers hasn’t won a Super Bowl, making him a decided underdog in this category. He does, however, have a better winning percentage than Manning and he’s made the playoffs every season — albeit in a weak AFC West. Manning, too, has made the playoffs every season (we’re throwing out the first year when he only started seven games) and had that ridiculous 2007 playoff run. But we have to go with Roethlisberger here. He’s an absurd 51-20 in the regular season, 8-2 in the playoffs and, oh yeah, he has two rings.
Edge » Roethlisberger
Defining moment » Take your pick here. Roethlisberger’s game-winning drive in Super Bowl XLIII was a thing of beauty. Rivers practically willed himself through the 2007 AFC title game on a torn ACL and was dynamite in the 2008 regular season finale against Denver with a playoff spot on the line. Manning’s best moment, however, might be the most impressive of all. His Houdini escape on third-and-five with less than two minutes left in Super Bowl XLII and his game-winning touchdown pass to slay the unbeaten Patriots highlighted perhaps the most stunning upset in Super Bowl history.
Edge » Manning
