Eli is 100% deserving. Here’s why.
With the announcement of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, there has been much talk about the finalists and who deserves to be inducted. Among the finalists is New York Giants legend quarterback Eli Manning. Despite all the apparent reasons Eli Manning should be inducted, plenty of people will argue against it.
Perhaps the biggest argument against him is that the NFL Hall is not a “Hall of Very Good,” and Eli Manning isn’t an elite quarterback (e.g., he hasn’t won an MVP or been an All-Pro). Neither Staubach nor Aikman, both in the Hall, won an MVP.
What’s more critical than saying why he shouldn’t be in the Hall are the stats that prove he should.
–Eli had seven 4,000-yard seasons, and only nine other quarterbacks can say this, and he is ranked 11th all-time in all three primary passing stats–touchdowns (366), yards (57,023 yards), and completions (4,895). If that’s not elite, then I don’t know what is.
–His 244 career interceptions (a number many say is too many) are fewer INTs than six QBs already in the Hall, and Eli’s TD/INT ratio is almost the same as Favre’s (another HOF inductee).
Graphic courtesy FOX Sports
–Regarding competitive outcomes, Eli is a two-time Super Bowl winner, an accolade that only 13 quarterbacks can claim. He was also named Super Bowl MVP twice, an accolade that only six other QBs can boast of–Starr, Bradshaw, and Montana, who are already in the Hall, and Mahomes and Brady, who will most assuredly be inducted.
Given what I’ve just presented, how can you conclude that Eli Manning does not belong in the HOF? The answer is you can’t! Eli Manning has earned the right to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
