New York Giants fans are soon going to get to see arguably the most beloved player in franchise history get a gold jacket. Eli Manning is in his second year on the Hall-of-Fame ballot, and just got one step closer to finally becoming an NFL Hall-of-Famer.
On Wednesday, the Hall-of-Fame class was cut down from 128 to 52, and Manning made the cut. Last season, he made it to the final 15 before not being selected, but it seems like the arrow is pointing up regarding his chances in 2026.
Additionally, Tom Coughlin is one of 12 coaches to advance to the next stage, meaning that the 2007 and 2011 Giants could soon have a lot of representation in Canton. While it's no guarantee that he's ultimately selected, it would be perplexing if he doesn't make the Hall within the next four seasons.
Eli Manning advances to final 52 in 2026 Hall of Fame voting
The two-time Super Bowl champion's Hall of Fame debate has been the subject of widespread debate on social media, as not everybody agrees that he deserves a gold jacket. Too many casual NFL fans believe that the two rings are doing the heavy lifting for his legacy, but this couldn't be further from the truth.
The No. 1 pick back in 2004 remains the best quarterback in franchise history, and has become so important fans wanted him to have an ownership ship stake in the G-Men. While there were bumps in the road, especially near the end of his career, he took Big Blue to the playoffs six times—and his clutch gene resulted in two of the most iconic moments in Giants' history.
Despite having over 57,000 passing yards and 366 passing touchdowns, people are unconvinced by the Super Bowl runs in 2007 and 2011. He went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady (and won) twice on the biggest stage, it doesn't get much more Hall-of-Fame worthy than that.
However, the former Ole Miss star will have some difficult competition to fend off. The other two quarterbacks still on the ballot are Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, and both of them had better careers than Manning, even with fewer rings.
Moreover, guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Hines Ward, Terrell Suggs, and Vince Wilfork also advanced to the next stage of voting, so it'll be an uphill battle. He should be a shoo-in to crack the final 25, but whether he makes the Hall of Fame this season or next is yet to be determined.