New York Giants legend Eli Manning is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025 and his candidacy is certain to spark much debate. However, one NFL Network analyst believes that’s hogwash.
In a recent article outlining the upcoming candidates and their viability, Adam Ranks says, “There is no debate” about Manning’s spot in Canton.
I know there will be those who don’t believe Eli should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His regular-season production looks mild compared with some of his contemporaries at the position. But he’s one of six players in NFL history to be named Super Bowl MVP twice — three of those players are in the Hall of Fame (Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Bart Starr), one is not yet eligible (Tom Brady) and one is still playing (Patrick Mahomes). I mean, Manning earned those honors against the league’s greatest dynasty. There is no debate here.
Manning is best known for bringing the Giants to two Super Bowls (and beating Tom Brady twice) while winning two Super Bowl MVPs as Rank mentions. However, the face of New York football for more than a decade was so much more.
He finished his career top-10 in both passing yards (57,023) and passing touchdowns (366) while winning 117 games. This earned Manning four Pro Bowl nods. Still, Eli was so much more than just the stats.
Manning was a leader in the locker room and an amazing teammate. He also was durable and dependable as he sits at third place all-time with 210 consecutive regular season starts.
There is no question that the Giants legend, and arguably the best offensive player in Giants history, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
