Eli Manning Excluded from Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 — Is This Fair?

The vote wasn’t unexpected, but Manning should eventually be inducted.

Eli Manning, the iconic New York Giants quarterback, will have to wait another year for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was not included in the Hall of Fame Class of 2025, which was announced Thursday evening.

The 2025 inductees include:

Defensive end Jared Allen, wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, cornerback Eric Allen, and tight end Antonio Gates.

Each year, a maximum of five players can be voted in, requiring approval from 80% of the committee members.

In a 2024 poll conducted by Big Blue View, 66% (1,039) of 1,583 voters considered Manning worthy of first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. 29% (460 voters) believed he deserved enshrinement but not immediately, while 5% (84 voters) disagreed entirely.

BBV writers were divided on the issue.

Retired NFL columnist Gary Myers, a committee member, shared his perspective on Manning’s exclusion:

“To be transparent, I voted for Eli Manning and advocated for him during our meeting. Manning’s Super Bowl victories over the Patriots, both with two-minute drives and earning Super Bowl MVP honors, combined with his ranking 11th all-time in touchdown passes and yardage, make a strong case,” Myers said. “Future voters must overlook Manning’s lack of All-Pro or MVP titles and realize he played in an era dominated by Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees. Despite a .500 record, quarterbacks like Dan Fouts and Warren Moon had similar records yet made it to the Hall of Fame without a Super Bowl appearance. Fouts and Moon were both first-ballot Hall of Famers.”

Manning’s path to the Hall could get even tougher in 2026 with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees entering the eligibility pool.

Valentine’s Perspective

Though I’m disappointed that Manning won’t be part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2025, I am not surprised.

Since Manning’s retirement, there’s been a vocal segment of NFL analysts and Hall of Fame committee members who argue that Manning either doesn’t deserve to be inducted in his first year or may not belong in the Hall of Fame at all.

Veteran NFL writer Mike Tanier recently discussed this with Hall of Fame voters in his ‘Too Deep Zone’ substack. Here’s some of what they shared:

“Come back to me in five years,” one voter stated. “We’ve got a lot of players to consider, and Manning can wait.”

“Someone will have to convince me he belongs in the Hall of Fame at all,” another said.

Other selectors were less blunt but still critical.

“I think he’s a Hall of Famer eventually,” one noted. “If we’re talking seven or eight years from now and discussing Manning’s two Super Bowl MVPs and unforgettable moments, I’d support it. But don’t try to tell me he’s one of the best quarterbacks of his era.”

Thus, Manning’s exclusion from the first ballot should come as no shock.

Nearly a year ago, I argued that Manning should be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and here’s part of what I wrote:

“Manning’s two Super Bowl victories against the Patriots, particularly stopping their perfect season, overshadow all else. I’ve long believed Manning and coach Tom Coughlin should have won more championships. If not for the 2008 incident with Plaxico Burress, that could have been the best team of their era. By 2012 or 2013, Manning seemed a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer, but his later career hurt that perception.

The Giants also failed Manning by not surrounding him with enough talent after their 2011 Super Bowl win. The team stopped giving Coughlin the players he needed, and Manning didn’t have the weapons to compete for additional titles.

I also understand the criticism: Manning’s 117-117 regular-season record, the awkward ‘Manning Face’ during bad games — for some, these issues overshadow his greatness. But sometimes, people are set in their opinions, no matter the facts.”

I agree with Myers on Fouts and Moon. While Manning was less consistent in the regular season than those two, he had more than one legendary Super Bowl performance, unlike Joe Namath, who entered the Hall with a 62-63-4 record and a single remarkable Super Bowl win. Manning has two.

If these quarterbacks made it, how can Manning be excluded?

To me, significant moments in history should weigh more heavily than regular-season stats. Manning played a pivotal role in two of the NFL’s most notable Super Bowls, defeating Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and denying them a perfect 18-0 season. You cannot tell the history of the NFL without mentioning Manning’s impact in those games.

That, in my opinion, secures his Hall of Fame legacy. Eventually.

Manning’s Career in Numbers

Regular season

Manning played his entire 16-year career with the Giants, setting a team record with 236 games played, including 234 starts. Those 234 starts are the fourth-most by a quarterback with one franchise.

He also started 210 consecutive games from Nov. 21, 2004, to Nov. 23, 2017, which ranks third in NFL history for quarterbacks. Only Brett Favre (297) and Philip Rivers (224) had longer streaks.

Manning never missed a game due to injury.