Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is a curious candidate for the Hall of Fame, but a former teammate is firmly in his corner. Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

Tiki Barber: 'No doubt' Eli Manning is a Hall of Famer

Will Eli Manning make the Hall of Fame? It's a question that can fuel heated debates between fans, players and analysts. And the latest person to weigh in on the question is running back Tiki Barber, who unsurprisingly said that his former teammate will make it to Canton.

"He is a Hall of Famer," Barber said during an appearance on Scoop B Radio. "No doubt about it. The question about first ballot is timing because, think about the peers that he's going in around. I think he maybe has an advantage because he's not going to align with his brother Peyton, who retired a couple years before. He's not going to align with Drew Brees, who is still playing, or Tom Brady. And so, he might get fortunate because he is a Hall of Famer and coming into a class that doesn't have a quarterback waiting, you know what I mean? Like, he doesn't have a guy that is a guaranteed Hall of Famer waiting."

It's nearly impossible to predict whether or not Manning will make the Hall of Fame in his first try but Barber is right that he will have the advantage of not having to get in the same year as players like Brees or Brady, who are guaranteed locks to get voted in. If he is the only quarterback in his potential class, it's hard to imagine that won't greatly boost his chances of making it first-ballot.

But still, while Barber may see Manning as a sure-fire Hall of Famer, others may need to be convinced. While Manning led the Giants to two Super Bowls and finished his career in the top 10 for all-time passing yards and touchdowns, he also finished with a .500 career winning percentage and only made it to the playoffs once after 2011.

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