They’re two players that will be linked for a number of reasons, most notably the resounding difference of careers they had. Their names are Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, the top two selections in the 1998 NFL Draft. We all know what happened. The Colts’ road to resurrection began with Manning, while the Chargers’ selection of Leaf set them back years. But what if the two selections were flip-flopped? What if the Colts went with Leaf’s arm strength and athleticism over Manning’s…well..Hall of Fame pedigree? Would things have turned out any different?

To fully understand each team’s situation, you need the look at the rosters. It was apparent that both the Colts and Chargers (who traded up to the 2nd overall pick) were in desperate need of a young quarterback. The Colts’ duo of Jim Harbaugh and Kelly Holcomb was mediocre complete ass, while San Diego’s Stan Humphries, Craig Whelihan and Jim Everett were even worse. Humphries’ brains had the consistency of scrambled eggs by that time, so the Chargers needed someone new.

Despite having a 3-13 record in 1997, the Colts appeared to be headed in the right direction, which is why the Manning pick made sense. Marshall Faulk was a budding superstar and the Colts had just hired a guy by the name of Jim Mora to be head coach. Meanwhile, the Chargers suffered through a year of Kevin Gilbride and Gary Brown at runningback. The Manning pick was safe and ultimately, it was the right one. There were some knocks on Leaf’s character, knocks that Manning didn’t have.

Ryan Leaf’s NFL career was done in for lots of reasons, whether it was burning bridges laid by the Chargers’ veteran core, being too immature to handle the spotlight, or simply not being very good. But he didn’t have much help either. The Chargers changed head coaches in the middle of Leaf’s rookie season. If he was in a situation more stable in Indianapolis, could things have been different? That Colts team threw Manning into the fire, but they also had Marshall Faulk as a safety net for Peyton. The Colts also had Marvin Harrison, who was starting to become a star by the time Manning was drafted.

“Don’t fucking talk to me all right! Knock it off!”

That quote sums up the Ryan Leaf era in San Diego. Could things have been different in Indianapolis? It’s doubtful. Leaf was a headcase and a punk. He skipped a mandatory rookie symposium after being drafted, which would later foreshadow his lack of respect for ownership, teammates, coaches and fans. Ryan Leaf was a piece of shit. Changing the shade of blue on his jersey wouldn’t have changed things.