Eli Manning Among 15 Modern-era Finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame 

Retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after waiting the requisite five seasons, has been reduced to 15 among the modern-era group, the Hall of Fame announced Saturday morning. 

Manning played 16 seasons for the Giants, who acquired him from the San Diego Chargers in a blockbuster draft day trade in 2004. 

Manning played college ball at Ole Miss, where he held 47 game, season, or career records when he entered the 2004 draft. He went on to break or set 22 Giants franchise passing records. 

Those include passes completed (4,895), longest pass completion (99 yards against the Jets in 2011), and most games with 300 or more yards passing (51). 

He also owns nine franchise postseason records for passing yards (2,815) and touchdowns (18). Manning was also known for his fourth-quarter comebacks, of which he recorded 27 over his career, ranking him 16th among passers since 1950. 

His biggest career accomplishment was leading the Giants to their two most recent Super Bowl championships (2007 and 2011), MAnning also earning the MVP honors in both games. 

Manning made 210 consecutive starts, never missing a game due to injury. (His streak was broken when then-head coach Ben McAdoo benched him in 2017.) He led the NFC in passing touchdowns in 2005 (24) and 2015 (35), capping his career by playing in 236 regular-season games.

Manning has been just as much of a champion off the field as he was on it. In 2016, he was named the co-winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, sharing the honor with fellow 2004 draft classmate Larry Fitzgerald, the record-setting receiver for the Arizona Cardinals.

Manning was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor on September 26, 2021, and the club also retired his jersey number (10) during that ceremony.  

Manning is one of five first-year eligible players, joining linebacker Luke Kuechly (Carolina), receiver Steve Smith, Jr. (Carolina), defensive lineman Terrell Suggs (Baltimore), kicker Adam Vinatieri (New England), and offensive lineman Marshal Yanda (Baltimore) among the 15 modern-era finalists.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 will be decided by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee prior to Super Bowl LIX and unveiled on February 6 during the NFL Honors program from New Orleans, which airs at 9 PM ET.

The selection committee may elect up to five modern-era players for the Class of 2025. To be included in the class, a finalist must receive at least 80% of the votes from the committee.