Eli Manning, the former New York Giants quarterback has opened up and given his honest reaction after his Hall of Fame snub, which means he will have to wait another year for his bust in Canton.
What did Eli Manning had to say?
During the NFL honors, several names were announced who were either the finalists or selected for the Hall of Fame, but surprisingly Manning's name was among them even though he was physically present at the event in New Orleans. During the February 7 edition of 'Good Morning Football', Manning gave his honest reaction after missing out.
I'm excited for those guys that got that. All of them are so deserving and this is just a great, you know, happy, happy for them and texted a few of them, the guys that I knew, and just congratulated them. So I had a feeling it was not going to be my night. And I understand that. I'm totally at peace, Manning said.
It didn't change my outlook of my career and how I feel about it. It was an honor to spend the night with a lot of my friends, high school buddies, college buddies, some NFL teammates of mine, my family. And we had a big night. We celebrated just being here, New Orleans, being home and had a wonderful time, Manning added.
According to NFL media, Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe Sr. were announced to be in the 2025 Hall of Fame class.
Eli Manning could still join his brother Peyton Manning
This year, Eli Manning was not able to get into the Hall of Fame but there is room for him in the upcoming years. He wouldn't be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he could still join his brother, Peyton Manning.
His case for a bust in Canton is still strong. The former Giants' quarterback was the only starting quarterback to defeat Tom Brady not once but twice and that too in Super Bowls. He even logged five more playoff seasons.
Detractors will point out that Manning was only able to win three division titles in his 16-year-long career and finished at exactly .500. However, defeating the best NFL player (Tom Brady) twice in the Super Bowl and surviving a cutthroat industry for more than 15 years should be enough to get him in.
The only question that remains here is when will Eli Manning join his brother Peyton Manning as Sterling Sharpe had to wait for more than three decades.