Jerry Rice is well-versed on what a Hall of Famer is. In addition to being one himself, he played most of his career with either Joe Montana or Steve Young, both Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
When he looks at New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, he does not see a Hall of Famer.
“When I’m judging a player, I’m looking what he brings to the table. And, what I see with Eli Manning, there’s not consistency, Rice said on 95.7’s “Joe, Lo & Dibs” show, H/T TMZ Sports. “I would think that Drew Brees is going to be a shoo-in,” Rice said on the “Joe, Lo & Dibs. … “Eli? There’s a chance of him getting in, but I’m not going to say he’s a true Hall of Famer.”
Manning’s Super Bowl success would suggest that he’ll get in. Of the eligible quarterbacks who have won two Super Bowls, only Jim Plunkett is not in the Hall of Fame. Of the non-eligible quarterbacks, there’s not much doubt that Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning will get in.
But other than his two Super Bowl seasons, Manning has only led the Giants to the playoffs four times. None of those produced even one win. Manning has a career completion percentage of 60.2 and a passer rating of 83.9. He’s also thrown more interceptions (234-229) and far fewer touchdown passes (509-350) than who Rice compared him to, Drew Brees.
Manning will certainly be aided by his Super Bowl success, his name, and the city he plays in. But in the end, it’s hard to dispute Rice’s claims too much.