Eli Manning Snubbed Yet Again: Is There More Behind His Hall of Fame Omission?

Eli Manning once again finds himself on the outside looking in when it comes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame — yep, for the second consecutive year, the former New York Giants quarterback didn’t quite make the final cut as one of the 15 modern-era finalists, according to The Athletic. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher if you ask me. Sure, there’s a lively debate swirling around whether Eli’s Hall of Fame credentials truly stack up, with a sizable crowd convinced he falls short. But you can’t ignore some pretty hefty achievements: he sits 11th all-time in both career passing yards and touchdowns, and he led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories — not to mention snagging four Pro Bowl nods and the 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year honor. His record ended perfectly balanced at 117-117, and while his final season saw the dawn of rookie Daniel Jones stepping in, Eli’s legacy includes leading the league in interceptions three times — a stat that fuels the critics. Still, history seems to have Eli’s back; he’s among the elite six with multiple Super Bowl MVP awards, a group where most are Hall of Famers on their first ballot. And while he wasn’t alone in missing the mark this year — Patriots coach Bill Belichick also didn’t get first-ballot love, sparking a firestorm — it’s clear Eli’s path to Canton is just a matter of when, not if. Whether he outpaces Belichick along the way? That remains a delicious mystery. LEARN MORE

Eli Manning has once again missed out on making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The longtime former New York Giants quarterback fell short of making the cut into the Hall of Fame again this year, marking his second straight time falling short as one of the 15 modern-era finalists, according to The Athletic.

Manning is generally expected to eventually earn his way into the Hall of Fame, though the topic is often debated and there are plenty who think he falls short. He currently ranks 11th in both career passing yards and career passing touchdowns in league history, and he won two Super Bowls during his 16 seasons with the Giants. The four-time Pro Bowler was the 2016 Walter Payton man of the Year, too.

Manning finished with a 117-117 overall record with the Giants, and he was eventually replaced by then-rookie Daniel Jones during his final season with the franchise in 2019. Manning also led the NFL in interceptions three times.

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But despite the areas where he may have struggled, history is on Manning’s side. He is one of six players with multiple Super Bowl MVP awards to his name. Of that group, three were first-ballot inductees. The other two, longtime New England Patriots star Tom Brady and current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are expected to be first-ballot entries once they are eligible, too.

Manning is the second notable NFL figure who didn’t make the cut into the Hall of Fame this year. Longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick reportedly fell short of his bid to become a first-ballot entrant. Belichick was reportedly “puzzled” and “disappointed” by the decision during his first year of eligibility. He reportedly asked associates, “Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?” and “What does a guy have to do?” after learning of the news, which set the NFL world into a firestorm on social media on Tuesday.

Manning is sure to make it to Canton eventually. Whether or not he gets there before Belichick, however, is now anybody’s guess.