Accorsi began his NFL career in 1970 with the Baltimore Colts as its director of public relations,[7] and worked on then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle's staff in the league office from 1975 before rejoining the Colts two years later as an assistant general manager.[8]
Baltimore Colts
Accorsi was promoted to general manager of the Colts in 1982.[9] The Colts finished 0–8–1 in the strike-shortened 1982 season, thereby earning the right to select Stanford University quarterback John Elway with the first overall pick.[9] Elway, however, refused to play for Baltimore, and using leverage as a draftee of the New York Yankees baseball club, forced a trade to the Denver Broncos.[10] However, it was not Accorsi, but the team owner Bob Irsay who made the trade. “If another team wanted to draft [Elway], it would have had to fork over three first-round draft picks in exchange. That was Accorsi's price. When no other team met it, the Colts drafted him. Elway said the Colts had wasted a draft choice. He would play baseball.
'I covered minor league baseball when I was a sports-writer,' Accorsi said. "Elway wasn't going to give up a chance at the Hall of Fame to play in Greensboro, North Carolina, which is exactly where he would have been sent. If we'd been patient we could have signed him."
Instead, Irsay traded him within a week, without consulting either Accorsi or [then head coach Frank] Kush. Denver gave up its own No. 1 pick in 1983 (offensive lineman Chris Hinton), its first pick in the 1984 draft and quarterback Mark Herrmann.[11]
The team finished 7–9 in 1983, but that would be their last season in Baltimore.[9] Accorsi resigned as GM after the 1983 season, just before the team's move to Indianapolis.[12]
Cleveland Browns
In 1985, Accorsi was hired by then Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell to serve as the team's new general manager and executive vice president of football operations, serving for seven seasons.[1] Accorsi was responsible for the acquisition of quarterback Bernie Kosar in the 1985 supplemental draft.[13] During his tenure, the Browns made five playoff appearances and got to the AFC Championship Game three times, but lost each time to Elway's Broncos.[14] Accorsi resigned in 1992.[15]
New York Giants
Accorsi joined the Giants in 1994 and served as an assistant to the general manager, legendary George Young,[16] until he succeeded Young in 1998.[17]
Accorsi's highest profile personnel move came at the 2004 NFL draft, where he traded Giants first-round draft choice quarterbackPhilip Rivers and three draft picks (a third-round pick in 2004 and first-round and 5th-round picks in 2005) to the San Diego Chargers for Number 1 overall draft choice quarterback Eli Manning, giving the Giants a young franchise quarterback.[18] The move met with the approval of Giants fans, who cheered loudly when the trade was announced by Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Manning then led the Giants to playoff appearances in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, Manning led the Giants to three straight road playoff victories, culminating in a victory over the then-undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Following the 2011 season, Manning would capture the Super Bowl XLVI title. Manning was named MVP of both Super Bowl XLII and XLVI, validating Accorsi's belief that Manning was a star talent.[19]
Although not a member of the staff in 2007, Accorsi was given a Super Bowl ring after the Giants win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
On December 29, 2014, it was announced that Accorsi had been hired by the Chicago Bears as a consultant for their general manager search after Phil Emery was fired.[23] That search resulted in the hiring of Ryan Pace.
On November 25, 2015, Accorsi was named a consultant for the Detroit Lions' search for a new general manager.[24]
Accorsi was named as a special adviser to the team on January 10, 2016, after he assisted the Lions in their search for general manager Bob Quinn.[25]
On December 4, 2017, John Mara stated in a press conference that Accorsi would assist the New York Giants in hiring a replacement for former general manager Jerry Reese.[26]