Eli Manning Denied Entry into Hall of Fame on First Ballot

Giants legend Eli Manning was denied entry into the NFL Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

And if you listen to Giants fans across the Tri-State area, and especially on social media, you would think this was Manning's only opportunity to EVER get into the hallowed Halls of Canton, Ohio.

Ah, yes, the handwringing is never-ending. How could the NFL be so callous?

Should Eli Manning be in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely. He is a central figure and face to one of the greatest, if not THE greatest upsets in NFL history when his Giants upset the 18-0 New England Patriots in the Big Game back in 2007.

Not only did he have the helmet catch and the game-winning touchdown pass in that game, but Manning also came back four years later and beat Tom Brady and the Patriots again on football's grandest stage.

Many will point to Manning's erratic career in the regular season as proof of his candidacy; he did throw 244 interceptions in his career and led the league in picks twice. Not to mention he had a .500 record as a starter in the regular season.

But Dan Fouts was only two games over .500, and Warren Moon was a game over .500, and both made it into the Hall. Neither made it to the Big Game.

Joe Namath and Terry Bradshaw had pedestrian regular season numbers, but when it came time to win on football's grandest stage they shined.

Like Manning, Namath won what many consider the most important game in NFL history in Super Bowl III when the Jets upset the heavily favored Colts. That game set the stage for the eventual merging of the NFL and AFL into one league.

And if you look at Namath's stats, he threw 220 interceptions and only 173 touchdowns in his career. Namath is in Canton.

Bradshaw, a winner of four Big Game titles with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s, threw only two more touchdowns than interceptions in his career in the regular season.

Manning threw 366 touchdowns to 244 picks. He should be in.

AND he will eventually get in.

Many great players don't get into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Curtis Martin didn't get into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, but he got in on his second.

Legendary Bills receiver Andre Reed didn't get in his first year of eligibility in 2006, but got in in 2014. Does anyone care? No. He's a Hall of Famer regardless.

So Eli will have to wait. Maybe he didn't put up the gaudy numbers his brother Peyton did during his playing days. And maybe he wasn't the best quarterback in a generation of top talents at the position that included Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Rothlisberger, Phillip Rivers, and Peyton Manning. But he still knew how to win like those.

Maybe Manning will get in in 2026 when Rivers and Brees are eligible. Maybe in 2027 when Big Ben hits the list; or how about 2028 when Tom Brady becomes eligible? What a storyline that would be.

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