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Former NFL quarterback Eli Manning has had a polarizing professional football career.
He led the league in interceptions thrice and only had five seasons of at least 10 regular-season victories. Still, he led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl wins and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honor twice.
The latter credentials should merit him consideration for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He will be eligible for the ballot starting next year, per the Hall’s five-year retirement eligibility requirement. However, the former Ole Miss standout hasn’t thought much about that process.
Eli Manning is more eager to see Tom Coughlin get inducted into Canton
AP Pro Football Podcast host Rob Maaddi asked Eli Manning if he has reflected on the possibility of a gold jacket and a bronze bust. Peyton Manning’s brother answered while diverting the attention to his long-time coach:
“I haven't. I think my focus is, you know, we got coach Coughlin in the mix this year for the Hall of Fame. So, I've talked to a lot a lot of people on his behalf for that, and so I'm excited for him.”
Coughlin was the Giants coach from 2004 to 2015, winning Super Bowls XLII and XLVI against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Their first Super Bowl victory thwarted New England’s hopes of completing the second perfect season in NFL history.
Mentoring the NFC East squad was Coughlin’s last coaching stint in a career that spanned nearly five decades. In the same interview with Maaddi, Manning also summarized Coughlin’s illustrious credentials worthy of induction.
“I think he's very deserving of it, you know, as a head coach to two Super Bowls, as an assistant you know, for with the Giants starting up the whole Jacksonville franchise and getting that off to the ground and going to the AFC Championships right away and building up that that organization.”
Eli Manning’s career with the New York Giants
Manning started four games for the Giants in 2019, his final NFL season. He lost his starting job to Daniel Jones after losing the first two games but briefly regained his role when Jones suffered an ankle injury. It was an unfortunate end to his 16-season stint with “Big Blue.”
Apart from two Super Bowl victories and two Super Bowl MVPs, Eli Manning is also a four-time Pro Bowler. He also won the 2016 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his contributions to the community, not bad for a first-overall selection who got traded for Philip Rivers and three picks to New York on draft day.
