In a surprising twist that has left many fans and players scratching their heads, both Eli Manning and Bill Belichick were left out of this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Former Giants safety Antrel Rolle, who knows a thing or two about sharing the field with greatness, voiced his disbelief over these omissions.
Eli Manning, the quarterback who famously toppled Tom Brady and the Patriots not once, but twice in the Super Bowl, was expected by many to be a shoo-in. Rolle, who was a part of the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI victory, highlighted Manning's knack for thriving under pressure.
"Beating the greatest quarterback ever, Tom Brady, speaks volumes," Rolle remarked. "Eli had a stellar career, leading his team with poise.
How he got snubbed twice is beyond me."
The surprise didn’t end there. Bill Belichick, widely regarded as the greatest coach in NFL history, also missed the cut.
Rolle didn’t mince words about this either. "Are we serious right now?
Belichick is the best to ever coach in the NFL," he said, acknowledging that while Andy Reid might one day challenge Belichick’s legacy, for now, the Patriots' mastermind stands unmatched.
Rolle expressed concerns about the Hall of Fame voting process, suggesting that those with deeper involvement in the game should have more influence. "The voting seems to be in the hands of people who might let personal biases sway their decisions," he noted. "There are guys in the Hall who shouldn’t be, and guys who should be but aren’t."
The omission of Manning and Belichick from the Hall of Fame class raises questions about the criteria and decision-making in this prestigious selection process. For many, including Rolle, the idea that these two legends aren’t first-ballot Hall of Famers seems downright absurd.