Eli Manning Misses Hall of Fame Again - But the Real Debate May Be Just Getting Started
Eli Manning’s wait for Canton continues. In his second year on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot, the former Giants quarterback was once again left off the list of inductees. This year’s class includes wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, running back Roger Craig, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri, and quarterback Drew Brees - a group packed with star power and undeniable resumes.
But with next year’s ballot introducing a fresh wave of first-time eligibles - including Adrian Peterson, Rob Gronkowski, Andrew Whitworth, and Ben Roethlisberger - the conversation around Manning’s Hall of Fame case is about to heat up in a big way.
Because if you’re talking about Eli, you have to talk about Ben.
The 2004 Draft Duo: Nearly Identical on Paper
Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger entered the league together in 2004 and spent their entire careers with one franchise - 16 years for Manning with the Giants, 18 for Roethlisberger with the Steelers. That kind of loyalty is rare in today’s NFL, and it paints a picture of two quarterbacks who were trusted leaders for the long haul.
Statistically, Roethlisberger holds the edge in career totals: 64,088 passing yards and 418 touchdowns to Manning’s 57,023 and 366. But context matters here.
Manning retired two years earlier than Roethlisberger and played only seven games as a rookie behind Kurt Warner. His final season saw him start just four games before handing the reins to Daniel Jones. When you average it out on a per-season basis, their numbers are strikingly similar: Roethlisberger averaged 3,560 yards and 23.2 touchdowns per year, while Manning posted 3,564 yards and 22.9 touchdowns annually.
So from a production standpoint, they’re nearly mirror images.
The Wins, the Losses, and the Defenses Behind Them
One area where Roethlisberger has a clear edge is team success during the regular season. The Steelers went 165-81-1 with Big Ben under center.
The Giants? A dead-even 117-117 during Manning’s tenure.
But let’s not fall into the trap of making win-loss records a quarterback-only stat. Football is the ultimate team game, and the defenses these two played with tell a big part of the story.
Roethlisberger benefited from some of the best defensive units of his era. Pittsburgh had a top-10 scoring defense 11 times during his career - and they were the No. 1 defense on four different occasions. That’s a luxury few quarterbacks get.
Manning, on the other hand, was often asked to do more with less. The Giants had a top-10 scoring defense just twice during his career.
Eight times, they were in the bottom 10. That’s not just a gap - it’s a canyon.
Clutch Moments and Championship Pedigree
Where Manning makes his strongest case is in the postseason - and more specifically, on the game’s biggest stage.
Roethlisberger made three Super Bowl appearances and won two of them, helping the Steelers add to their storied trophy case in 2005 and 2008. He didn’t win Super Bowl MVP in either, but he was a steady presence in the postseason, finishing with a 13-10 playoff record over 12 appearances.
Manning made the playoffs just six times, but when he got there, he made it count. He went 8-4 in the postseason, and two of those wins came in Super Bowls - both against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Manning didn’t just win those games; he was named MVP in both, delivering iconic performances that are still etched in NFL lore.
His 2007 and 2011 playoff runs are the stuff of legend - clutch throws, fourth-quarter comebacks, and poise under pressure that defined his legacy.
What Comes Next?
With Roethlisberger hitting the ballot next year, the conversation around Eli Manning’s Hall of Fame candidacy is about to get louder - and more complicated.
These two quarterbacks are forever linked. They entered the league together, played through the same era, and put up eerily similar numbers. One had more regular-season success, the other delivered some of the most memorable playoff performances in NFL history.
If Roethlisberger gets in - and given his resume, that seems likely - it raises a fundamental question: How do you tell the story of the NFL over the last two decades without Eli Manning?
The answer might just be: You can’t.
With names like Peterson, Gronkowski, and Whitworth also entering the conversation in 2027, the ballot will be crowded. But if there’s room for one of these 2004 quarterbacks in Canton, there should be room for both.
Because when you look past the raw numbers and into the moments that defined them, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger weren’t just contemporaries - they were equals.