Once again, Eli Manning has fallen short of being named a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee despite being a finalist.
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According to The Athletic's Ian O'Connor and Dan Duggan, the former New York Giants quarterback did not receive enough votes to be a member of this year's Hall of Fame class. He joined former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who reportedly learned last week that he did not make the cut in his first year of eligibility.
Manning, a former standout for Ole Miss, spent his entire career with the New York Giants. He took over as a starter during the 2004 season, and he went on to make 210 consecutive starts. This is the third-most among NFL quarterbacks.
Manning went 117-117 as a starter in regular-season games while throwing for 57,023 yards and 366 touchdowns. He only earned four trips to the Pro Bowl. He did not enter the conversation of "top quarterbacks" in his era, one that also included Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers among others.
Yet, the Giants quarterback showed up when it mattered — the playoffs. He took Big Blue to the postseason six times, and he posted an 8-4 record. Twice, the Giants started out in the wild-card round and went on a winning streak to reach the Super Bowl.
The first example occurred during the 2007 season. The Giants beat the Buccaneers in the wild-card round, the rival Cowboys in the divisional round, and the Favre-led Packers in the NFC championship. They then faced off with the undefeated Patriots and delivered an upset win. Manning made many pivotal throws during this game, including the winning touchdown toss to Plaxico Burress.
The second run happened during the 2011 season. The Giants started the playoffs with a 24-2 wild-card win over the Falcons. They then defeated the Packers in the divisional round and the 49ers in the NFC championship. This set up a rematch with the Patriots.
Once again, Manning made some crucial throws. He found Mario Manningham along the sideline to keep a drive alive, and he threw a touchdown pass to Victor Cruz. The defense and the rushing attack, much like in 2007, held up their end of the bargain as the Giants delivered another upset win.
The expectation is that these two Super Bowl wins and two Super Bowl MVP awards will be enough to boost Manning into the Hall of Fame. It just won't be in 2026.
