There was a question posed to Tom Coughlin on Wednesday requiring no answer because the answer was an obvious one that required little thought and less debate.
But the Giants head coach delivered the perfect answer when he was asked if there is “any doubt’’ the organization made the right decision making that 2004 draft-day trade with the Chargers to secure Eli Manning as their franchise quarterback.
“None whatsoever,’’ Coughlin said. “There’s a couple things out there in the hallway you might want to take a look at.’’
Those “things’’ to which Coughlin referred are the two Super Bowl trophies Manning helped the Giants win in 2008 and 2012. They glisten with their polished silvery shine behind the glass of a trophy case across from the reception desk in the lobby of the team’s training facility.
In that complicated draft-day wheel-and-deal, the Chargers drafted Manning with the No. 1 overall pick and the Giants drafted quarterback Philip Rivers with the fourth’s pick and traded him to San Diego along with several draft choices for Manning.
Ten years removed from that trade, Manning and Rivers — who meet for just the second time in their careers when the 5-7 Giants play the 5-7 Chargers Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium — are thriving.
“It worked out well for both organizations,’’ Manning said Wednesday. “They got two quarterbacks out of it who have had good careers.’’
What Manning left out is the fact it has worked out quite a bit better for the Giants, though.
The stats on the back of Rivers’ football card are gaudier than Manning’s, but Rivers has not had a hand on even one of those shiny “things’’ that sit in the Giants’ trophy case.
The bulk of the credit for the Manning move and how it changed the course of the franchise goes to former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, who was so sure about Manning it bordered on obsession.
“All we can ever ask for when you go scout a player is you want to come out of that stadium with a conviction,’’ Accorsi told The Post Wednesday. “You can’t force it. But that’s your goal — one way or another. I felt instinctually that this guy had it. There was something intangible about him.’’
Coughlin said he recalled Accorsi making that deal “with 100-percent belief that this was the right thing to do for our franchise.’’
“I remember that Ernie had studied Eli since he was a freshman in college [Ole Miss] and had a really, really strong, strong feeling about him,’’ Coughlin said. “It wasn’t an easy deal to make. It was a move that he made with great conviction and obviously we’re … Philip Rivers has had an outstanding career in San Diego and Eli Manning has had an outstanding career here. So I think you have a win-win situation.’’
Win (Super Bowl XLII), win (Super Bowl XLVI) for the Giants, that is.
Asked if he subscribes to the Coughlin “win-win’’ theory, Rivers said, “I hope our organization feels the same way. Certainly can say it’s been a win for those guys in New York. Eli’s led them to two championships.’’
Both Manning and Accorsi said neither has spoken to the other about that conviction Accorsi had a decade ago.
“Maybe one day when I’m done playing I’ll sit down with Ernie and hear some stories,’’ Manning said. “Obviously I know what happened on my end and that’s good enough.’’
Accorsi said Manning called him after both Super Bowl victories to “thank’’ him.
“That’s just like Eli — understated just like I am. We’ll be linked forever and that’s a privilege.’’
Bill Parcells famously used to say, “God plays in these games, too,’’ referring to outside elements shaping history as much as blocking and tackling. There was luck involved in that draft-day game, too. Accorsi was able to make that trade work because Manning told the Chargers he didn’t want them to draft him.
Manning developed a curious case of amnesia when asked to recall his reasons for not wanting to play for the Chargers.
“I forgot, I think,” he said. “I can’t remember. It’s been 10 years. It’s slipped my mind.’’
To the Giants and their fans, Manning’s faux memory lapse matters little. What matters is Accorsi and the Giants made it happen, and two Super Bowls later, who’s to argue it?
“You don’t draft a guy that high to upgrade,’’ Accorsi said. “You draft a guy that high at that position to win a championship.’’
Or two.