Eli Manning has once again missed out on making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The longtime former New York Giants quarterback fell short of making the cut into the Hall of Fame again this year, marking his second straight time falling short as one of the 15 modern-era finalists, according to The Athletic.
Manning is generally expected to eventually earn his way into the Hall of Fame, though the topic is often debated and there are plenty who think he shouldn't. He currently ranks 11th in both career passing yards and career passing touchdowns in league history, and he won two Super Bowls during his 16 seasons with the Giants. The four-time Pro Bowler was the 2016 Walter Payton man of the Year, too.
Manning finished with a 117-117 overall record with the Giants, however, and he was eventually replaced by then-rookie Daniel Jones during his final season with the franchise in 2019. Manning also led the NFL in interceptions three times.
But despite the areas where he may have struggled, history is on Manning's side. He is one of six players with multiple Super Bowl MVP awards to his name. Of that group, three were first-ballot inductees. The other two, longtime New England Patriots star Tom Brady and current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are expected to be first-ballot entries once they are eligible, too.
Manning is the second notable NFL figure who didn't make the cut into the Hall of Fame this year. Longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick reportedly fell short of his bid to become a first-ballot entrant. Belichick was reportedly "puzzled" and "disappointed" by the decision during his first year of eligibility. He reportedly asked associates, "Six Super Bowls isn't enough?" and "What does a guy have to do?" after learning of the news, which set the NFL world into a firestorm on social media on Tuesday.
In the end, Manning very likely will make it to Canton. Whether or not he gets there before Belichick, however, is now anybody's guess.
