Phil Simms Says Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin Are Hall Of Fame Worthy
One of the biggest debates over the past few months has been the Hall of Fame status of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. With winning his second championship and second Super Bowl MVP, he becomes just the fifth player in NFL history to accomplish those feats together.
Another legendary quarterback for the Giants, Phil Simms, believes not only that Manning has done enough to earn a ticket to Canton, but his head coach Tom Coughlin has as well.
“Here we were five years ago—before the Giants won their first Super Bowl—and all the talk that year was maybe the Giants need to bring another quarterback in and Tom Coughlin’s in trouble,” Simms told USA TODAY. ”Now they both absolutely one day will go in the Hall of Fame.”
I tend to agree with Simms on both fronts. Winning one championship is usually not enough to guarantee you a spot in the Hall, but getting over the hump and winning twice is something special.
Especially when talking about Manning, and how much we respect and admire being able to perform when the chips are down. Manning has proved time and time again that he is one of the most dangerous quarterbacks when the game is on the line.
He led the Giants on an 80+ yard game winning drive in both of their Super Bowl wins. He led them on seven game-winning drives in 2011, tying a record. He threw 15 fourth quarter touchdown passes in 2011, setting the record.
He’s won in Lambeau Field in the playoffs, twice, beating one of the greatest quarterbacks ever in Brett Favre, and someone who I believe could go down as a top five quarterback ever in Aaron Rodgers. He’s beaten Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the playoffs, twice. He is tied for the best playoff winning percentage with an 8-3 record.
However, I would not put Manning in the Hall if his career ended tomorrow. You have to consider longevity when talking about the modern day quarterback, and he needs to keep adding to his numbers before he is a sure-fire Hall of Fame candidate.
There is a strong possibility he could still make it in, but if he has another six or seven years at the numbers he’s been putting up, he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and no one could take that away from him.
Jeff is an NFL Featured Columnist for www.RantSports.com. He contributes mainly to the New York Giants and NFL Rumors pages. He also will occasionally touch on the NBA and humorous videos involving all sports.
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