Eli Manning speaks out about Pro Football Hall of Fame snub

Eli Manning wasn’t chosen as a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee on Thursday evening, and it’s sparked a tremendous debate throughout the football world.

Although it’s disappointing for the former New York Giants star, Manning is at peace with the decision, and he’s hoping his time will come. No matter what, it’s not going to change the way the two-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award recipient views his time in the NFL.

“I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be my night, and I understand that. I’m totally at peace,” Manning told NFL Network’s Jamie Erdahl, via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. “It’s not gonna change my outlook on my career and how I feel about it.”

That’s a healthy way for Manning to see the situation he finds himself in. His case for the Pro Football HOF has been one of the more polarizing in recent memory. Of course, it’s highlighted by his two Super Bowl runs and victories over the New England Patriots, but the fact that he was never truly the top quarterback in the NFL has been working against him, according to ESPN.

Still, his resume is quite convincing to some, including Hall of Fame voter Gary Myers, who told ESPN his reasoning for voting Manning into the HOF, even if it didn’t come to fruition in 2025.

“In the interest of full transparency, I voted for Eli Manning and spoke up for him at our meeting. I believe Manning beating the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl with two-minute drives and being named Super Bowl MVP each time, along with currently being 11th all time in touchdown passes and yardage, presents a convincing résumé,” Myers told ESPN.

“To get selected in the future, the voters must get past that Manning was never All-Pro or regular-season MVP and realize he played when those spots were not so available, playing in an era with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.”

Many others have come to Manning’s defense, including ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, his brother and Hall of Fame Inductee Peyton Manning and arguably the greatest coach of all time in Bill Belichick. Still, it wasn’t enough to convince voters this time around.

In the end, Eli Manning still seems Hall of Fame bound, but he won’t be a first ballot choice, as many expected. Moving forward, it’ll be fascinating to see when his name is called, and whether or not he heads to Canton in the future.