What if ryan leaf was good

The San Diego Chargers, meanwhile, claimed Leaf at two. Their marriage did not run so smoothly — or last too long three seasons, to be precise. He played just 25 games in a career that also included a stop in Dallas, throwing 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions, and is regarded as one of — if not the — biggest draft busts.

Peyton Manning , Colts was voted best No. Having the first pick was the ideal building block for Polian, who was always going to hand new head coach Jim Mora a rookie QB to work with. Manning started from the outset with the Colts. There were early teething problems and he finished his debut season with a record, throwing more interceptions 28 than touchdowns However, the chance to learn on the job aided his development.

The Colts went on to make the playoffs in the next two seasons and while was not so successful, a campaign led to the arrival of Tony Dungy as head coach and, well, the rest is history. Whether Leaf would have developed in the same circumstances has to be considered doubtful with how his career panned out, but Indianapolis would have at least afforded him time in which to prove himself.

They also had two rather useful pieces to help, as a running back by the name of Marshall Faulk and a wide receiver called Marvin Harrison were already on the roster. Had Leaf still flamed out in a similar timeframe with the Colts — it should be pointed out he missed his second season in San Diego through injury - they may well have used the draft to find a replacement.

The Chargers did exactly that, using the 32nd pick on Drew Brees. Manning as a Charger may not have blossomed in time to keep head coach Kevin Gilbride in a job — he was fired midway through the season, his second at the helm — but he may well have been the key to keeping the team in San Diego. Owner Dean Spanos moved the Chargers to Los Angeles after an unsuccessful attempt to get a new stadium built. A failure to secure tax-payer funding led to relocation in Surely, though, the presence of Manning could have made a difference.

They were in a similar situation like the Colts with an aging Stan Humphries who was often injured. Out in the college ranks Peyton Manning was having another solid campaign at Tennessee , throwing for more than yards and 37 TD's. Many felt he was a consensus number one pick to whoever landed the top spot in April, but as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend.

Leaf threw for 34 scores and just under yards during the season. All of a sudden every expert, including Mel Kiper and his greased down hair had a debate on who to pick at no.

Manning was the conservative pick, while Leaf was the next in line and was thought to have a high upside. Leaf's career was just bad both on and off the field. He threw for just 3, yards in his entire career, and threw twice as many picks as he did touchdowns. Off the field it was one fight after another, whether it be coaches, teammates, or reporters.

Leaf was a huge draft bust to say the least. So the question brought up by this article is where the Colts would be if they had picked Leaf? It certainly makes you think of the McFly time travel scenarios of the 80's doesn't it?

One thing can be sure, the Chargers would have been in a good situation. Manning, LT, Gates, and others could bring up discussions as to if they would have been the team playing in more Super Bowl's than the Patriots. On the other side, the Colts Oh those poor Colts. I can only imagine the horror in their eyes as Leaf scuffled game after game, yelling at Indianapolis Star reporters, yelling at Jim Mora, and fighting with guys like Faulk.

In week 4, he suffered a wrist injury that lingered throughout the year. In fact, he failed a physical with the Cowboys when he signed there because of that wrist injury.

Why did Leaf play through this injury? That same team doctor, David Chao, is still inexplicably with the team and has had a ton of legal problems. Leaf himself sued Chao for malpractice and is one of four Chargers players that have sued Chao and settled out of court.

At the end of his career, Ryan Leaf cited the wrist injury as his reason for retiring at age He simply could never throw the ball without discomfort. A real shame for a guy who some still talk about having one of the biggest arms in college football history.

A real shame for a guy that wanted to come to the Chargers so that he could show off that arm with big passes and big plays down the field. The most notable difference for the Chargers, had Leaf stayed healthy, is not that they potentially have their franchise QB.