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Eli Manning Has Playful Response When Asked About His Hall of Fame Candidacy  

Manning will find out if he'll be immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this week.

Patricia Traina

Eli Manning after being named MVP after Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, February 5, 2012.
Eli Manning after being named MVP after Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, February 5, 2012. / Chris Pedota/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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If playing on the game’s biggest stage (twice) didn’t rattle retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, waiting to find out if he’s been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 sure as heck isn’t going to rattle the cool as ice Giants legend.

Manning will learn this week at the annual NFL Honors show if he’ll be immortalized in the Hall of Fame with fellow Giants legends like Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Y.A. Tittle, Bill Parcells, and Mel Hein, just to name a few.

But if he doesn’t, don’t expect Manning to be upset about the decision.

During an appearance on the Up & Adams podcast, host Kay Adams asked Manning about the pending announcement. In typical Eli Manning fashion, he offered a lighthearted response. 

“Maybe I like the attention," Manning said. "Maybe I want to extend this a few more years; it keeps me in the news and keeps me relevant if they have this debate. Hopefully, I can prolong this for years and years and years so it gives people things to talk about."

Yes, he was joking. Although it would probably mean the world to the New Orleans, Louisiana native to receive word in his hometown that he’s been voted into the Hall of Fame, Manning has always been one who would rather be a part of the background rather than take center stage. 

But in all seriousness, there is bound to be a lot of disappointment if he doesn’t get voted into the Hall of Fame this year.

Unfortunately for Manning, his candidacy isn’t a slam dunk. His detractors will point to his .500 career record in regular-season games, a faulty argument given that wins and losses aren’t necessarily all on one man’s shoulders. 

They might also point to the fact that Manning has never won the MVP award or finished as the league leader in passing yards as reasons to keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

His supporters will point to the two Super Bowl championships over the New England Patriots (including the previously undefeated team in 2007), in which Manning was named MVP of both games. They will likely point to Manning being clutch when it has counted most. 

When he retired following the 2019 season, Manning’s 27 fourth-quarter comebacks tied him with Phillip Rivers of the Chargers (who ironically was part of the trade that brought Manning to the Giants in 2004) for tenth place on the all-time list (since 1950).

Since then, Manning, who also boasts four Pro Bowl berths and was named the co-winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2016 (with Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald), has dropped to 16th.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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