Giants Country

Should Eli Manning Be a First Ballot Hall of Famer?

Eli Manning is the holder of many Giants franchise passing records. But when it comes to where he stands among his peers, his path to Canton could be tricky.

Patricia Traina

Should Eli Manning Be a First Ballot Hall of Famer?
Should Eli Manning Be a First Ballot Hall of Famer? /
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 was unveiled Thursday night at the annual NFL Honors awards show, with congratulations in store for the seven-man class-- return specialist Devin Hester, defensive end Dwight Freeney, receiver Andre Johnson, linebacker Randy Gradishar, linebacker Patrick Willis, defensive tackle Steve McMichael and defensive end Julius Peppers--in order.

But for New York Giants fans, next year's Hall of Fame selection process will be one to watch. Not only will former head coach Tom Coughlin again be up for consideration, but retired quarterback Eli Manning will be among 13 first-time eligibles for the class.   

There appears to be a split opinion as to whether Manning's credentials are worthy of induction into Canton, with some of the biggest criticism being Manning's 117-117 regular season career record as a starting quarterback, to claims that it was the Giants defense and not Manning, that was more responsible for the franchise's two Super Bowl wins in 2007 and 2011 against the New England Patriots dynasty.

But looking at Manning's career accomplishments, it's easy to see why his potential inclusion into Canton would create divisiveness among the Hall of Fame voting committee, which will consider 13 first-time eligibles next year.

Manning, the only one of the 13 first-time eligibles who won two Super Bowl MVP awards, also boasts an impressive iron-man streak in which he never missed a start due to injury--his streak of 210 consecutive regular-season starts (the third-longest consecutive starts streak by an NFL quarterback) snapped by former head coach Ben McAdoo infamous decision to bench Manning for Geno Smith.

But it's Manning's football stats and postseason honors that will likely be the stumbling block for him getting into Canton.

Manning has an impressive 27 career fourth-quarter comebacks that rank 16th among quarterbacks, and he holds an 8-4 record in postseason play. He is one of just 13 quarterbacks in NFL history to win two Super Bowl championships and is one of six players to win two Super Bowl MVPs. 

However, he just barely cracked into the top 10 in some key performance stats, including all-time in career passing touchdowns (366, 10th place), pass completions (4,895, 10th place), and passing yards (57,023, 10th place).

Manning, who in 2016 was co-winner of the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award with former Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, also never finished as a passing yards leader or league MVP like some of his fellow quarterbacks who are enshrined in Canton, which could further complicate his Hall of Fame candidacy.

Manning should make it through the three different preliminary lists, the first of which will be submitted by March 1 and then whittled down at different points in the year. But whether his overall credentials will be enough to gain 80 percent of the vote necessary to be part of the next class is no slam dunk, no matter how much Giants fans believe it should be.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments section.

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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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