Latest news with #EliManning
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Philip Rivers to retire as member of Chargers
NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, who for 16 seasons was the face of the San Diego and later Los Angeles Chargers franchise, will officially retire as a member of the team. Rivers made the announcement in a video posted to social media Monday. The eight-time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback will sign a one-day deal to rejoin the Chargers and officially ride off into the sunset as a franchise legend. Rivers was drafted No. 4 overall by the New York Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft in one of the most infamous draft-day transactions in history. He was traded by the Giants to San Diego in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning, and future picks that ended up becoming other franchise cornerstones for the Chargers in linebacker Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding. But it was Rivers who rewrote the record books for the Chargers, capturing every notable passing record for the team that once revolutionized the high-powered passing offense. His 397 touchdowns, 59,271 passing yards and 4,908 completions are tops on the franchise's all-time records list, and he's the team's all-time leader in games played and wins as a quarterback. In 16 seasons as a member of the Chargers, Rivers led the team to a 134-106 regular season record and six playoff appearances, often playing through significant injuries in the postseason. Rivers laid roots in San Diego and advocated for the team's right to remain in the city that became his adopted home. After the team decided to uproot and move to L.A., Rivers continued to live primarily in San Diego, often flying back and forth between the two cities for games. 'What I miss, and what I'm most appreciative and thankful for are those relationships, the things that were behind the scenes,' Rivers said in his retirement announcement. 'The days at [San Diego practice facility] Murphy Canyon on the practice field. You miss those moments.' 'I picture riding down that hill in the Qualcomm [Stadium],' a visibly emotional Rivers says in the video. 'And you just go like, 'Man, shoot. They're fired up today.' And seeing the flags, and seeing the smoke from the grills going and stuff that just never got old, you know, that never got old.' He never captured the postseason success of his NFL Draft compatriots in Manning and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who won two Super Bowls each. Yet, he remains a beloved figure for the Chargers franchise, a nightmarish figure for NFC West opponents and a celebrated one-time mercenary for the Indianapolis Colts for whom he played his final games. He thanked the many offensive linemen over the years that kept him upright and shielded him from injury, including Nick Hardwick, Kris Dielman, Jeremy Clary, Marcus McNeill and Mike Goff, who surprised him in the video. He also thanked Chargers owner Dean Spanos and his family 'for believing in a small town kid and from North Alabama by way of Raleigh and NC State.' 'Having you retire as a Charger, man, it means the world to us as an organization, we're just so grateful,' said John Spanos, the team's president of football operations. Considered a borderline entrant for the NFL Hall of Fame, Rivers approaches his first year of Hall eligibility next season. Regardless of what happens in the next stage of his NFL story, Rivers said his Chargers tenure and legacy will stay with him forever. 'I never took it for granted,' he said, 'getting to suit up and lead the Chargers for, shoot, 240-something games in a row.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New York Giants' Jaxson Dart strives to be elite: 'I give myself no other option'
New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart isn't short on confidence, and he's set extremely high expectations for himself. Despite starting his first NFL season on the bench, Dart has established some lofty goals for his professional career. Once he takes over the reins, nothing but the very best will be considered acceptable. Dart not only aims to become an elite quarterback at the NFL level, but he also strives to be viewed in the same lens as Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, and Muhammad Ali. "I want to be elite," Dart told Steve Serby of the New York Post. "I feel like I've been somebody that's always trying to chase the top. . . I don't feel like I'm somebody that really ever gets satisfied with just being good and OK." And what gives Dart the confidence that he will be able to achieve such greatness? "'Cause I give myself no other option," he said. The first obstacle Dart will have to contend with, other than waiting his turn, is handling the bright lights of New York City and the pressures that come from playing in the largest media market in the world. The Big Apple can weigh heavily on some, greats included. It's not for everyone, but that's a challenge Dart embraces fully. "I ain't scared of it. I told the coaches and the personnel department when I was on my visit here, I told them this is the place I wanted to be. I want to be on the biggest stage," he said. That falls in line with the advice Dart received from another Ole Miss alumnus, Eli Manning. "One thing he told me early on was to embrace the city, embrace the people, the culture, embrace New Jersey," he said. "You embrace the whole community, you don't ever view yourself as higher than anybody else or above anybody, you look at everybody as we're all the same, especially in God's eyes. I want to do my best to be an advocate for the community, and then at the same time, I just want to win." And winning is something Dart intends to do a lot of. He's even envisioned how it will all play out. "Absolutely," he said when asked if he's visualized hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. "I want to win a few of 'em. You asked me who I want to go to dinner with and I told you that I want to go to dinner with the best athletes, the ones who won the championships, who won the gold medals, and have been world champions. That's what I want to be someday." The Giants and their fans want that, too. In fact, they're starving for it. This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Jaxson Dart strives to be elite: I give myself no other option
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
The wait is over for Texas and Arch Manning, though quarterback admits it wasn't easy being backup
ATLANTA (AP) — Arch Manning admits now that going from highly sought-after high school recruit to the Texas backup quarterback wasn't an easy transition. 'This is not really a big deal, but I played every year in high school,' Manning said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days. "It was a 2-A high school. That doesn't mean anything, but from sitting out and not playing, that was pretty tough." Advertisement The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns last season but saw only limited playing time after September behind Quinn Ewers. Manning could have seen the field earlier had he gone elsewhere. But in an era where college athletes have newfound maneuverability thanks to the transfer portal — and the ability strike lucrative deals at interested schools — the quarterback chose to ride it out. '(Transferring) never really crossed my mind,' Manning said. 'I knew Texas was the place I wanted to be. It was the city I wanted to be in, a great education. I had friends there. I was still developing and growing as a football player and a person. So I never really wanted to leave. If there was somewhere else I wanted to be, I would have gone.' Two years since first arriving in Austin, his days of watching offensive possessions from the sideline is likely behind him. Ewers moved on and up, drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round in April, passing the torch to the newest playmaker in one of football's most famous families. Advertisement Manning's confidence masks the simple fact that the most talked-about player in college football has played in just 12 career games going into the Aug. 30 season-opener at Ohio State, the defending national champion and the team that beat the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl last January. Now that the wait is over, coach Steve Sarkisian thinks he is ready. 'He's got an unbelievable work ethic. And I think, if he stays true to himself, that's going to help him navigate these waters as they present themselves,' Sarkisian said. 'I think he's prepared for the moment, but now it's just time for him to go do it and enjoy doing it quite frankly.'
New York Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Arch Manning is comfortable in the spotlight, but wants to earn it: ‘Talk is cheap'
ATLANTA — It was, Arch Manning would say later, good to get away from everybody. A boys' trip, he and his three best friends from high school went to San Diego on a long weekend this summer. They played some golf, hit the town, went to a Padres game. And never dealt with anyone recognizing him. 'No!' Manning said, his face brightening. 'It was kind of refreshing. It felt great.' Advertisement Not that he has a problem dealing with fame. Not growing up as Archie Manning's grandfather. Not growing up as Peyton and Eli Manning's nephew. Not even the past few years, as he became the nation's top football recruit, then the nation's top backup quarterback. That was when the fame got annoying. Manning would walk to class on the University of Texas campus and people would take his picture, ask for selfies. He hadn't done anything for his team yet, didn't like the attention. So he would call his mom on the way to class, or pretend to be on the phone. The not playing part was harder. He knew it was a strong possibility when he chose Texas, which had Quinn Ewers for one, maybe two years — it was two, it turns out. For Manning to go there anyway, for the five-star to be the backup for two years in the day of the transfer portal, oh, everyone talked about Manning's maturity and unselfishness. What most didn't see was Manning, as a freshman, venting in the film room to Paul Chryst, the former Wisconsin coach who was on Texas' staff. 'It was an hour of me watching film — and an hour of me venting,' Manning said. Those darker days in a darkened film room are gone. The spotlight, and the pressure that goes with it, has returned. The Arch Manning era is underway. 'Arch Manning will be at Position 2 in the front of the room,' said the moderator in the main room at SEC media days on Tuesday. And with that, a horde of media formed around Position 2, the biggest scrum of the first two days, probably all week. Rows deep of people trying to get camera shots. One media member kept trying to get on the stage to get a better shot, despite repeated warnings. Talking ball 🎙️ @ArchManning — Texas Football (@TexasFootball) July 15, 2025 'I'm not gonna tell you again,' an SEC staffer said, as the reporter sheepishly got down. Yes, he's a Manning, which is a big part of it. But the attention also comes from being talked about as a Heisman front-runner and the possible No. 1 pick in the draft. Preseason accolades that confound detractors, such as … Arch Manning. Advertisement 'I'm not really sure how they get these opinions. I've only played what, two games,' he said. 'I guess that's nice to say. But you know, that doesn't mean anything. Talk is cheap, I've gotta go prove it.' There's a lot still to play out. There's no assurance the hype is real. But if Manning plays as well as he interviews, he's going to be fine. The affability of his grandfather and uncles has rubbed off. So has the comfort before a camera, to a point. 'They're better actors than me,' he said. What Arch does have on his uncles is that he's a better runner, as the world saw last year when he served as a change-of-pace quarterback, subbed in when Steve Sarkisian wanted his Texas offense to give the defense a different look. A plot twist for the nephew of two pocket quarterbacks, who have said that speed skips a generation. Unfairly, according to their nephew. Sarkisian said Manning probably won't 'major' in running as the now-permanent starter. But it does give the offense flexibility, and Manning's knowledge of the system, and game snaps, mean Sarkisian can keep the playbook open. 'We've got a sense and a feel of things that he does really well,' Sarkisian said. 'And we can highlight those things all while still staying true systematically to who we are.' Sarkisian also spoke about Manning's calmness and quick wit, something that will help in what should be a long season: Texas has a mammoth opener, at defending national champion Ohio State, then has an SEC slog that includes a November trip to Georgia, and then potentially the College Football Playoff. The pressure may now be on Manning. But it may be that the long wait to play has Manning feeling less pressure and more relief to be playing again. 'You've got to walk the walk first. As much as it wasn't always fun sitting the first two years, I've got a lot of respect for my teammates, who were playing,' he said. 'Now I come at it from a place of love, not just being a turd.' Advertisement The last word made reporters laugh, as they kept doing during an extended session with Manning. Across the room, Texas safety Michael Taaffe noticed. 'I didn't know that he was very funny,' Taaffe said. 'So I think you're kind of giving us some pity laughs.' He was joking. Manning has too many role models to not be good at this. 'And I think his granddad always told him 'the shorter the better,'' Taaffee said. Short but still revealing enough. Like when Manning acknowledged that while he doesn't post much on social media, he does check it often. Enough so that someone online — Robert Ratliff, a former walk-on player at Ole Miss — offered him $20 if he didn't check it for an entire week. Manning took him up on the offer, and deleted his apps before coming to Atlanta. 'So I won't know if I did good or bad in these interviews,' he said. 'Till Sunday.' The reviews for this should be good. The actual football? Well, it's finally time to find out. 'I'm ready to roll,' Manning said.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
The wait is over for Texas and Arch Manning, though quarterback admits it wasn't easy being backup
ATLANTA (AP) — Arch Manning admits now that going from highly sought-after high school recruit to the Texas backup quarterback wasn't an easy transition. 'This is not really a big deal, but I played every year in high school,' Manning said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days. 'It was a 2-A high school. That doesn't mean anything, but from sitting out and not playing, that was pretty tough.' The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns last season but saw only limited playing time after September behind Quinn Ewers. Manning could have seen the field earlier had he gone elsewhere. But in an era where college athletes have newfound maneuverability thanks to the transfer portal — and the ability strike lucrative deals at interested schools — the quarterback chose to ride it out. '(Transferring) never really crossed my mind,' Manning said. 'I knew Texas was the place I wanted to be. It was the city I wanted to be in, a great education. I had friends there. I was still developing and growing as a football player and a person. So I never really wanted to leave. If there was somewhere else I wanted to be, I would have gone.' Two years since first arriving in Austin, his days of watching offensive possessions from the sideline is likely behind him. Ewers moved on and up, drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round in April, passing the torch to the newest playmaker in one of football's most famous families. Manning's confidence masks the simple fact that the most talked-about player in college football has played in just 12 career games going into the Aug. 30 season-opener at Ohio State, the defending national champion and the team that beat the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl last January. Now that the wait is over, coach Steve Sarkisian thinks he is ready. 'He's got an unbelievable work ethic. And I think, if he stays true to himself, that's going to help him navigate these waters as they present themselves,' Sarkisian said. 'I think he's prepared for the moment, but now it's just time for him to go do it and enjoy doing it quite frankly.'
