Philip Rivers Rips Giants, Calls Eli Manning Benching 'Pathetic'

Philip Rivers and Eli Manning will always be linked. The quarterbacks were traded for one another on the first day of the 2004 NFL Draft and have been compared ever since. Both have had Hall of Fame careers, and while they’ve never been “friends” per se, the two have always expressed mutual admiration.

On Wednesday, Rivers went out of his way to blast the New York Giants for benching Manning. When asked to comment on Manning being replaced by Geno Smith, the San Diego Chargers quarterback said, “I thought it was pathetic, honestly.”

Check it out:

That’s strong stuff from Rivers.

It is interesting that the same week Manning was benched, Rivers was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. It’s clear his career is still rolling along, while Manning’s has hit a wall. That said, it’s admirable that Rivers went out of his way to defend a fellow veteran quarterback.