Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is on the ballot for the first time as a nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.
There’s a lot of debate around the football universe about whether Eli is worthy of being inducted in his friar year of eligibility.
His former teammate 11 years, All-Pro defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion Justin Tuck, thinks it should be a no-brainer.
“Yes. He is first ballot Hall of Famer,” Tuck told host Ryan Clark on The Pivot recently. “I’ll give you a few examples.
“Outside the stats — and I think the stats back up that notion — you think about his longevity, you think about his yards, his touchdowns, his Super Bowls, and the MVPs. I think that alone answers that question.”
Tuck believes that Eli was held to a higher standard due to his last name, which made his climb to success a bit steeper than normal.
“I don’t think a lot of people take into consideration how hard it is to live in Peyton Manning’s shadow and build your own name in the biggest and broadest market in the world,” he said.
But there are other factors. Eli had durability, starting 210 consecutive games — the third-highest total by an NFL quarterback — and played a record 16 seasons in a Giants uniform.
Tuck reminded all that there’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to Eli Manning.
“His leadership. He wasn’t a loud leader, but think about him showing up, being at that facility day in and day out. Maybe the first person in and the last person to leave, every day for 16 years. The model of consistency adds to that list,” he said.
While others debate over Eli’s worthiness, Tuck does not doubt whether Eli belongs in Canton.
“I don’t understand why it’s even a question,” said Tuck.