Michael Vick, Philip Rivers, and Drew Brees all have one thing in common—former New York Giants QB Eli Manning would take former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger over every one of them.
Manning was asked which quarterback he would take when given two options, not knowing who would come next. He kicked off his first three selections by choosing Roethlisberger three straight times—over Rivers, Brees, and Vick—until finally selecting his brother Peyton Manning over the legendary Steelers QB.
Manning is one of the most accomplished Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in recent history, defeating who many consider to be the G.O.A.T. of the National Football League, QB Tom Brady, in two separate head-to-head Super Bowl matchups—though Manning actually chose Brady to surpass his brother in the final selection of all-time quarterbacks.
Eli Manning picked Big Ben over Phillip Rivers and Drew Brees#steelers pic.twitter.com/hQPz78Y4NY
— Matthew Luciow (@matthewluciow92) February 8, 2025
Roethlisberger is no stranger to Super Bowl championships, winning two himself in Super Bowl XL and XLIII. In some ways, Eli and Big Ben are more alike than people realize—both favoring their two Super Bowl wins over personal accolades.
