Giants legend Eli Manning reportedly learns Hall of Fame fate after first-ballot snub

It appears that legendary head coach Bill Belichick isn't the only big-name candidate who will have to wait a little longer to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Giants fans will be bummed about latest Eli Manning Hall of Fame update

On Wednesday afternoon, Dan Duggan and Ian O'Connor of The Athletic revealed that New York Giants icon and two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Eli Manning fell short of being selected as a Hall of Famer for the second straight year. Manning was one of the 15 modern-era finalists for the 2026 class. 

Manning's Hall of Fame candidacy made for interesting sports-talk debates even before he retired from playing in January 2020. Individuals such as O'Connor have argued for years that Manning deserves to be in the Hall of Fame as one of only six players who have earned at least two Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Awards during their careers. 

Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr are enshrined in Canton, while both Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes are viewed as locks to be Hall of Famers down the road. 

Additionally, Manning is partly responsible for what are widely viewed as two of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history. The first of those remarkable catches occurred as Manning guided the Giants to a victory over a New England Patriots side that entered Super Bowl XLII with a perfect 18-0 record. 

Eli Manning still can't overcome regular-season record regarding Hall of Fame

"The main strike against Manning’s candidacy is that he was never viewed as a top quarterback in a golden era at the position," Duggan and O'Connor mentioned. 

Manning retired as a .500 regular-season quarterback with a 117-117 career record. He also notched zero postseason victories following the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI win over the Patriots in February 2012. Back in February 2025, ESPN's Jordan Raanan shared that "the general consensus seems to be Manning will eventually get into the Hall." 

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Hall of Fame candidates "supposedly" sign a non-disclosure agreement. For whatever reasons, news about Belichick and Manning's Hall of Fame fates went public much earlier than intended.