In the days since it was announced that New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning would retire from the NFL after 16 remarkable seasons, the debate over his Hall of Fame candidacy has reached a fever pitch.
Lines in the sand have been drawn and the opposing views are drastic.
On one hand, most professional athletes who know Manning, have played alongside Manning or competed against Manning all believe he’s a shoo-in Hall of Famer. Daring to question that is not met kindly.
On the other hand, there are many pundits and fans who have never laced up their cleats who believe Manning stands no chance at enshrinement in Canton and find themselves sharing contradicting arguments based on emotion.
Retired offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz rests somewhere in the middle, acknowledging in an SB Nation column that he has tremendous respect for Manning after spending two years in East Rutherford while also arguing that Eli’s career record is a detriment.
Ultimately, however, Schwartz believes Manning will find his way into Canton and that his detractors had better take a deep breath and prepare themselves for what’s to come.
Manning does not have the best statistical profile of a quarterback of this era. It’s hard to ignore this truth. He has big numbers because of his long career, one that spanned 236 games and 210 straight starts — the latter a remarkable feat. He threw for 57,023 yards, 366 touchdowns, 244 interceptions, and completed just over 60 percent of passes during the regular season. He finished with a 117-117 record as a starter.
However, the Hall of Fame is not the Hall of Amazing Stats. You have to consider the performance of these players in the biggest moments of their career. That’s where Manning shined the most.
Analytically, Manning remains one of the most successful playoff/Super Bowl quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and in a game where winning is the only thing that matters, he’s done it twice on the grandest stage.
That includes a victory over the then-18-0 New England Patriots, who were already in the midst of their dynasty and considered the best team ever assembled.
Manning isn’t the perfect Hall of Fame candidate, but he’ll be voted in because he showed up when it mattered most for an iconic franchise. Manning was never on Page Six, he never embarrassed himself or the team, and he was the ultimate leader and competitor.
His team won two Super Bowls and dismantled the Patriots twice to do it. For that, he will be in Canton one day.
Hall of Famer votes sound split five years in advance of that decision, but as we’ve said before, Manning’s career and his impact on the game will appreciate over time. He will get his gold jacket one day. There’s no doubt about it.
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