The NFL family lost a legend over the weekend when former general manager Ernie Accorsi passed away at the age of 84.
Born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Accorsi was destined to be a part of the lore that Pennsylvanians have with the game of football. He attended Wake Forest and got involved with the game through his work as a sports reporter for various outlets. However, his true lasting impression would come from his work in the NFL, starting with the Baltimore Colts.
He would eventually make his way up to being the team's general manager and in charge of making the first choice in the famous 1983 NFL Draft. With that pick, he would land Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway before trading him to the Denver Broncos for a package of players and picks.
He would then be a part of more NFL history when he helped the Browns secure the draft rights to Bernie Kosar for the Cleveland Browns. His work with the Browns would lead to some of the more fun teams in franchise history, as well as helping to lead franchise legend Ozzie Newsome into scouting and eventually leading a front office of his own.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of Ernie Accorsi, who helped lead the construction of our unforgettable teams from the 80s as General Manager pic.twitter.com/rHTsXsFCDB
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 20, 2026
And for one last bit of history to be a part of, he was the general manager of the New York Giants when they drafted Philip Rivers in 2003 and traded him for disgruntled first overall pick Eli Manning. Needless to say, that was a rare trade that worked out for both parties, the Giants more so.
With so many monumental trades and pieces of history he was a part of, it is hard to imagine a general manager who affected the history of the league more than him.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Former Browns GM Ernie Accorsi passes way at age of 84
