What Makes an NFL Hall of Famer

With Daniel Jones taking over the starting quarterback job in New York, Eli Manning’s career is effectively over. So now at the end of his career we are talking legacy and the question becomes is Eli a Hall of Famer? The easy answer in no, well at least for me it is but for others not so much. Especially since Manning has 2 Superbowl wins and they happen to be against the best team of the era. But is that enough, what makes a Hall of Famer?

Its hard to put a definite criterion for what I think a Hall of Famer is due to that fact that times and eras change how we view the numbers. The way I look at it is were you dominant in your era? Did people view you in the top 5 or even 10 consistently at your position. Since we are picking on Eli today, he does not meet that at all. The public or football analyst for that matter never in his career said this guy is the best doing it.

So, I know he has 2 Superbowl victories but let’s break that down. Those 2 runs were largely due to really good defensive line play and some lucky breaks. There were 2 incredible catches by David Tyree and Mario Manningham that turned those games that were not offensive spectacles by any stretch. The Giants would have not made the 2011 game if not for a 49er special team gaffe in the NFC Title game. Outside of those magical runs the other 4 times Manning made it to the playoffs he was 0-4. He threw a total of 7 interceptions in just those 4 games.

When using the Superbowl as this super standard, remember that Jim Plunkett has 2 victories as a starter in the big game. Plunkett is nobody’s Hall of Famer. Like Eli Manning, Plunkett has a .500 record as a NFL starting quarterback. Superbowl winning quarterbacks include the names of guys like Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer, Jeff Hostetler and Mark Rypien. It is impressive to be a champion but in the ultimate team game we can’t use a victory in game that can happen despite the man at the helm.

One player that may come up for consideration in the next few years is Donovan McNabb and a lot of people championing Eli’s cause would not vote for McNabb. The former Eagles quarterback has significantly better winning percentage and a better career QB rating. The Hall of Fame is for the best of the best. McNabb was very good but not great. Eli unfortunately was not even very good. He was stable and reliable but never at the top of mountain even for short period of time. We have to keep Greatness as the standard for the place where the game celebrates its best ever.

Keith B. Holt

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