Giants QB Eli Manning Will Get into Canton...Eventually

Will Manning Ever Get into the Hallowed Halls in Canton?

Ira Kaufman, one of the voters who broke the news of Manning’s rejection to Mad Dog Radio before the NFL Honors program, opined that while Manning isn’t good enough to get in this year, he will likely get in at some point.

But that raises a couple of questions.

First, it’s not as though Manning can do anything to improve his credentials as they stand today. If they weren’t viewed as good enough among the peers he played with during his career, then why would that change down the line, especially as new candidates are added to the pool?

And that brings us to the second point. The competition for one of the coveted spots in Canton will only increase over the next few years, especially at the quarterback position. 

Drew Brees and Philip Rivers are both eligible next year. Ben Roethlisberger is eligible in 2027, and Tom Brady, who is sure to be a slam dunk first-ballot inductee, is eligible in 2028. And if Aaron Rodgers calls it a career, he will be eligible in 2030.

Of those candidates, one would think Rivers, who has no postseason accomplishments to speak of but who had twice as many Pro Bowls as Manning, was the passing yardage leader in 2010 and was the co-passing touchdowns leader in 2008, might fall short given his lack of postseason credentials.

Brees has one Super Bowl title and an MVP to his name. He is also a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, the 2004 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, a four-time second-team All-Pro, a thirteen-time Pro Bowler, a seven-time NFL passing yards leader, and a four-time passing touchdown leader. That makes his credentials far more impressive on the surface than Manning’s. 

Roethlisberger, like Manning, is a two-time Super Bowl champion, minus the MVP awards to go along with it. He was also named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004, beating out Manning and Rivers, who were also part of that draft class. 

And Roethlisberger, whom the Giants would have sought to draft in 2004 had they not been able to work out the trade with the San Diego Chargers to acquire Manning, twice finished as the NFL passing yardage leader in 2014 and 2018.

Brady is Brady, though if you’re looking for a strike against his record, he did lose two Super Bowls to Manning and the Giants. Still, of all the upcoming quarterbacks up for discussion, it wouldn’t be surprising if the discussion about Brady’s candidacy is short-lived and unanimous.

Rodgers is the holder of one Super Bowl championship and one MVP award to go with it. But he’s also a 4x MVP, a 4x First-team ALl-Pro, a 10x Pro Bowler, a 2x NFL passing touchdown leader, the AP Athlete of the Year (2011), and a member of the NFL’s 2010 All-Decade Team.

That’s a lot of competition for Manning to face in the coming years.  But for Manning, who faced a lot of competition over his career, don't expect him to bat an eye or spend an ounce of worry over anything beyond his control. 

If there is a silver lining from this situation, it’s that maybe when Manning does get in–and it’/s hard to envision him not getting in at some point–he’ll enter the same year as head coach Tom Coughlin, which would make the wait for football immortality worth it.

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