Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning will not be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, The Athletic reported on Wednesday.
Manning, 45, was one of 15 modern-era finalists for the second straight year. He won two Lombardi trophies in 16 seasons, all with the New York Giants (2004-19), and was the Super Bowl MVP in the 2007 and 2011 seasons.
The other five players with multiple Super Bowl MVP honors are first-ballot Hall of Fame inductees Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr as well as Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, who are not yet eligible but expected to be locks for induction.
The Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee meets prior to Super Bowl LX, and any players selected will be revealed on Feb. 5 during the “NFL Honors” broadcast in San Francisco. Up to five “Modern Era” players for the Class of 2026 can be elected by the Selection Committee, which requires a minimum positive vote of 80%.
The No. 1 overall pick in 2004, Manning played 236 regular-season games (234 starts) with the Giants, who acquired the Ole Miss product in a draft-day trade with the Chargers for No. 4 pick Philip Rivers.
Manning was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2015 but was never All-Pro. He threw for 57,023 yards (11th all-time), 366 touchdowns (11th) and 244 interceptions (12th). He led the league in interceptions in 2007, 2010 and 2013.
Older brother Peyton Manning was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.
The 2026 Modern-Era Finalists (positions, years and teams) announced in December 2025:
Willie Anderson, Right Tackle — 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
Drew Brees, Quarterback — 2001-05 San Diego Chargers, 2006-20 New Orleans Saints
Jahri Evans, Guard — 2006-16 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers
Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver — 2004-20 Arizona Cardinals
Frank Gore, Running Back — 2005-14 San Francisco 49ers, 2015-17 Indianapolis Colts, 2018 Miami Dolphins, 2019 Buffalo Bills, 2020 New York Jets
Torry Holt, Wide Receiver — 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
Luke Kuechly, Linebacker — 2012-19 Carolina Panthers
Eli Manning, Quarterback — 2004-19 New York Giants
Terrell Suggs, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End — 2003-18 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
Adam Vinatieri, Kicker — 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-19 Indianapolis Colts
Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver — 2001-14 Indianapolis Colts
Kevin Williams, Defensive Tackle — 2003-13 Minnesota Vikings, 2014 Seattle Seahawks, 2015 New Orleans Saints
Jason Witten, Tight End — 2003-17, 2019 Dallas Cowboys, 2020 Las Vegas Raiders
Darren Woodson, Safety — 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys
Marshal Yanda, Guard/Tackle — 2007-19 Baltimore Ravens
–Field Level Media
