As Aaron Rodgers prepares to embark on a new chapter of his career with the New York Jets, the future Hall of Fame quarterback believes another former New York signal-caller deserves a spot in Canton, Ohio.
When asked Saturday in an interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post if longtime New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning belongs in the Hall of Fame, Rodgers responded affirmatively, saying: "Yeah. He's won a couple of championships, a couple of Super Bowl MVPs, had a couple of great runs, had a nice, beautiful, long career."
The brother of Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and son of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, Eli spent his entire 16-year NFL career with the G-Men after going first overall in the 2004 NFL draft.
Eli went 117-117 in 234 career regular season starts, amassing 57,023 passing yards, 366 touchdowns and 244 interceptions.
The Giants reached the playoffs six times during the two-time Pro Bowler's tenure, and he made them count by twice leading New York to Super Bowl victories.
On both occasions, Manning was named Super Bowl MVP, and he out-dueled the New England Patriots and legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
Most notably, the Pats entered Super Bowl XLII at the conclusion of the 2007 season with a perfect 18-0 record between the regular season and playoffs, but Manning and the Giants pulled off arguably the biggest upset in Super Bowl history with a 17-14 win.
Although Manning's stats don't quite measure up to other quarterbacks of his generation, such as his Peyton Manning, Brady, Rodgers and Drew Brees, he still ranks 10th in NFL history in both passing yardage and passing touchdowns.
His two championships and two Super Bowl MVP awards set him apart from most other quarterbacks to ever play the game, however, and may be the deciding factor in his Hall of Fame candidacy.
Manning will first become eligible for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, and while he may not be a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, it feels like a virtual guarantee that he will get in at some point.
