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Eli Manning had a legendary career in college football and the NFL. After spending 4 seasons at Ole Miss, Manning was the 1st player taken in the 2004 NFL Draft. Manning went on to win 2 Super Bowls, 2 Super Bowl MVPs, and has his No. 10 jersey retired by the Giants.
Now, Manning headlines the list of finalists to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 2025 class.
Including Manning, the 15 finalists are :
- Eric Allen, Cornerback — 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders
- Jared Allen, Defensive End — 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers
- Willie Anderson, Tackle — 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
- Jahri Evans, Guard — 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers
- Antonio Gates, Tight End — 2003-2018 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
- Torry Holt, Wide Receiver — 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
- Luke Kuechly, Linebacker — 2012-19 Carolina Panthers
- Eli Manning, Quarterback — 2004-2019 New York Giants
- Steve Smith Sr., Wide Receiver — 2001-2013 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens
- Terrell Suggs, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End — 2003-2018 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
- Fred Taylor, Running Back — 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots
- Adam Vinatieri, Kicker — 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-2019 Indianapolis Colts
- Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver — 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts
- Darren Woodson, Safety — 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys
- Marshal Yanda, Guard/Tackle — 2007-2019 Baltimore Ravens
The selection committee may select up to 5 of these players for induction and each must receive a minimum of 80% of the vote to be inducted. It is the first time being a finalist for Manning, Keuchly, Smith, Suggs, Vinatieri, and Yanda. All of those players except Smith are in their 1st year of eligibility.
Manning is easily the Giants’ all-time passing leader. The QB threw for 57,023 yards in his career, with the 2nd-place QB, Phil Simms, ending his career with 33,462 yards. Manning also holds the team record for career passing TDs, game-winning drives, and wins.
The 2025 class will be enshrined in August 2025.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
