Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning — a player who did nothing but show up to work every day and give his all for his franchise and teammates — might actually have more detractors than proponents, which could dampen his chances for entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
All Eli did was play the game with class and dignity and lead the Giants to two Super Bowl championships. But he did it quietly, almost in a subdued manner, and many short-attention-spanned football enthusiasts missed the point of his career.
Many critics hammer the fact that Eli was nothing more than .500 quarterback who didn’t really raise the level of his team’s play. Don’t tell that to his teammates, who revere him as one of the best people they’ve overhead the pleasure to play alongside.
Does it matter that Manning is in the top 10 all-time in most passing categories? Does it matter that he is only one of five players to win multiple Super Bowl MVPs?
To some, no, but here’s just one more statistic that simply cannot be ignored:
Eli is not considered to be in the same class as Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, who are both statistically better than him, but he has won more championships, and in the end, isn’t that what it’s all about?
And when it came to big-time throws and big-time moments, Manning got the job done when so many of his peers haven’t.
