New York Giants: Is Eli Manning’s next stop the Hall of Fame?
Yes, Eli Manning is a Hall of Famer
There could be an argument made that Eli Manning does deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. The obvious point to this argument is that he is a two-time Super Bowl champion. As mentioned before, he was awarded Super Bowl MVP both times.
The point of the playing in the NFL is to win Super Bowls and Manning was able to achieve that feat twice. He even has more Super Bowl victories than many notable quarterbacks that are already in the Hall of Fame (Dan Marino, Warren Moon, Dan Fouts and Brett Favre).
His game might not have been as flashy or entertaining as these players but, nevertheless, he still was able to not only get to the biggest stage but lead his team to victory on those stages.
There will be counter-arguments to his Super Bowl wins. Many will argue he was carried by a premier defense for both trips and he also could rely on a pretty solid running game if the situation called for it. It is true that Manning had an elite defense to rely on and he had the compliment of a decent rushing attack. However, when the situation called for Manning to rise to the occasion, he did.
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When the Giants were down and needed to score in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII, Manning took the challenge and marched his team down for the score. He had one of the greatest plays in NFL history, escaping the grasp of New England Patriots defenders and heaving up the ball to David Tyree. The throw wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done — thanks to Tyree’s helmet, to be sure.
He threw the go-ahead touchdown to Plaxico Burress to cap off that legendary drive. Let’s not forget that the Patriots team he beat in that Super Bowl was 18-0 entering the game and considered one of the best teams in NFL history. Manning managed to beat them and give them their only blemish on their record.
What about the next time he faced the Pats in Super Bowl XLVI? The situation was basically the same. The Giants were down in the fourth quarter and needed a score to take the lead. Manning threw a beauty to Mario Manningham along the sideline to start the drive. Without that dime by Manning, who knows if the Giants would’ve come up with the win.
In both of those postseason runs, Eli Manning played exceptional football, throwing for a combined 15 touchdowns and two interceptions and most importantly having an 8-0 record. So it is fair to say that Manning stepped up his game when his team needed it most. Further proof of his ability to step up in clutch moments is that he has had 27 comebacks in his career along with 37 game-winning drives. That is something Hall of Fame quarterbacks do.
For his career, Manning accumulated 57,023 yards which ranks as the seventh most passing yards in NFL history. He also has 366 career touchdown passes, also seventh-most in NFL history. His 4,895 completions are again seventh-most in league history. Manning has been able to achieve these feats rather quietly, but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that he is a top-10 quarterback in these categories.
What also helps Eli’s case is his longevity and constant availability during his career. In a game as violent as the NFL (even though quarterbacks get the most protection), it is hard to be available every single week.
In Manning’s 16-year career, he never missed a game due to injury. He even had a streak of 210 games started which is the third-longest streak by a quarterback in league history. The best ability is availability in the NFL and Manning was the shining example of that.
One could make a compelling case for having Eli Manning enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He is champion and a top 10 all-time passer (in certain categories). He also played the game the right way, was a leader on his team, and was always available to play for the New York Giants. Those things alone should get him into Canton.