Eli Manning isn’t dwelling on his omission from the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The former New York Giants quarterback, speaking a day after the four-person class was announced, said he’s happy for those who made it and isn’t letting what happened sour his outlook on his career or the Hall of Fame overall.
“I’m excited for those guys that got in,” Manning told NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “All of them are so deserving. Happy for them. I texted a few of them, the guys that I knew, and just congratulated them.
“I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be my night, and I understand that. And I’m totally at peace. It’s not going to change my outlook of my career and how I feel about it.”
The 2025 class includes tight end Antonio Gates, cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe. It’s the smallest class since 2005.
The group will be inducted Aug. 2 in Canton, Ohio.
Manning was in his first year of eligibility and had a complicated case for the Hall of Fame, leading to widespread debate on his candidacy. He led the Giants to two Super Bowl wins over the New England Patriots and two Super Bowl MVPs. He was top 10 all time in passing yards (57,023) and touchdowns (366) when he retired following the 2019 NFL season. And he never missed a game in his 16-year career because of injury.
But the biggest obstacle, according to some Hall of Fame voters in the room, was that Manning was never really in the discussion as the best player at his position for a chunk of his career.
Manning, of course, still can be selected as part of future classes. But a maximum of five modern-era players can be chosen each year, and first-time nominees for the 2026 class include Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Jason Witten, Frank Gore and Philip Rivers, so the competition will remain stiff.
Information from ESPN’s Jordan Raanan was used in this report.