Earlier this month, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was not elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. This just added to the disappointment that Giants fans have experienced over the last year.
Not getting in on your first year of eligibility is not a knock on Manning’s career, as it’s a difficult process to get voted in. Even Manning’s former teammate Michael Strahan, who won a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2001 and is a four-time All-Pro, had to wait until his second year of eligibility before he was voted in.
However, despite throwing for 57,023 yards with 366 touchdowns and being a two-time Super Bowl MVP, unlike Strahan, Manning might have a lengthy wait before he wears a gold jacket, and here’s why.
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Other Hall of Fame-worthy QBs will be entering eligibility over next few years
One of the reasons some felt Manning would get voted in this year is due to the fact he was the only quarterback in his first year of eligibility. Typically, voters tend not to vote for multiple players that played the same position. Now for the next several years, there’ll be quarterbacks that played in the same era as Manning and had more individual success that will be eligible for the Hall.
Drew Brees is now in his first year of eligibility and although he has one Super Bowl MVP on his resume, he’s thrown for 23,335 yards more than Manning, thrown 205 more touchdowns, been voted to the Pro Bowl 13 times compared to Manning’s four, and was voted All-Pro once while Manning never was. When comparing resumes, the former Giants signal caller doesn’t match up to Brees.
Another quarterback who is entering his first year of eligibility is the man who was traded for Manning on Draft Day 2004, and that’s Philip Rivers. Rivers never played in a Super Bowl, but threw 55 more touchdowns with 35 fewer interceptions, and was voted to the Pro Bowl twice as many times as Manning.
The following year, one of Manning’s draft classmates Ben Roethlisberger will be eligible. Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls just like Manning and appeared in another one. Although he wasn’t named MVP in either of those Super Bowl victories, he won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004, was voted to the Pro Bowl six times, and compiled a regular season win-loss record of 165-81-1. He’s also thrown 52 more touchdowns than Manning with 33 fewer interceptions.
Then in 2028, Tom Brady will be in his first year of eligibility; ’nuff said. Manning may have gotten the better of Brady in two Super Bowls, but outside of those two games their careers pale in comparison.
A case can be made that the above-mentioned quarterbacks played on better teams with better offensive lines than Manning. But he was not as consistent as the others and he was far more turnover prone.
But the biggest reason why the most decorated quarterback in Giants history might have to wait before he gets inducted into Canton is his 117-117 regular season record. No matter how you want to slice it, a .500 record is the epitome of average. Some feel the standards of what it takes to get into the Hall of Fame have been watered down for the last several years, and voters may hold Manning’s record against him. Manning played in an era where rules favored offenses, and every other quarterback who has garnered elite status has a winning record as a starter.
Eventually, Manning will get inducted, but it might be a longer wait than some fans expect.
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