Eli Manning and Bill Belichick-two names forever linked by Super Bowl history-now share another, more unexpected connection: neither was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on their first ballot.
Yes, the quarterback who twice stunned the New England Patriots on football’s biggest stage, and the coach who built one of the greatest dynasties the league has ever seen, are both still waiting for Canton to call.
Let’s start with Manning. He’s a two-time Super Bowl MVP, a quarterback who delivered in the clutch when it mattered most.
Sure, his regular-season numbers have sparked debate over the years-some see him as good but not great-but the guy has two rings and two signature wins over the most dominant team of his era. That’s not just résumé material; that’s legacy-defining stuff.
And yet, in his first year of eligibility, voters didn’t give him the nod.
Fast forward to this year, and now it’s Belichick’s turn to wait. The man has eight Super Bowl rings-six as head coach of the Patriots, two more as the defensive mastermind behind the Giants' dominant units in the 1980s.
His coaching tree spans generations, his innovations have shaped the modern game, and his win total is second only to Don Shula. Simply put, Belichick is one of the most influential figures the NFL has ever seen.
And still, no first-ballot induction.
It’s a reminder of how unpredictable Hall of Fame voting can be. Sometimes it’s not just about the stats or the rings-it’s about timing, narratives, and how voters weigh the totality of a career.
For Manning, the debate has always centered around consistency versus clutch. For Belichick, the recent turbulence in New England’s post-Brady era might have cast a shadow over an otherwise legendary run.
Will they both get in eventually? Almost certainly.
Manning is still in the mix this year as the full voting results haven’t been released yet, and Belichick’s place in Canton feels more like a “when” than an “if.” But for now, they sit in rare company-two giants of the game, each with a Hall of Fame-caliber legacy, left waiting just a little longer.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s part of what makes the Hall so sacred. It doesn’t always follow the script.