A day after six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick was not voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Eli Manning was snubbed. The two shockers left fans asking the same question: ‘Why?’ ESPN cited sources on Tuesday to reveal that Belichick did not receive the necessary 40 votes from the 50-person panel.
The class of 2026 will be announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on February 5.
Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes react to Belichick snub
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes posted on social media: “Insane … don’t even understand how this could be possible.”
Tom Brady, who spent most of his career with Belichick at the Patriots, called the decision ‘ridiculous’.
"I don't understand it," the seven-time Super Bowl winner said in an interview on Wednesday with Seattle Sports 710-AM radio. "I mean, I was with him every day. If he's not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there's really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it."
Belichick was hired by New England in 2000 and led the franchise to six Super Bowl wins and three other appearances in the title game during an 18-year span from 2001-18. Belichick’s 333 wins in the regular season and playoffs with New England and Cleveland are the second most to Don Shula’s 347. He won AP NFL Coach of the Year three times.
Why Eli Manning did not make it
Manning, a former New York Giants quarterback, did not cut being one of the 15 modern-era finalists for the second consecutive year. The 45-year-old's resume, including post-season success, is expected to earn him entry into the exclusive club eventually.
{{/usCountry}}Manning, a former New York Giants quarterback, did not cut being one of the 15 modern-era finalists for the second consecutive year. The 45-year-old's resume, including post-season success, is expected to earn him entry into the exclusive club eventually.
{{/usCountry}}He finished his career tied for 11th all-time in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, though he ranked seventh in each category at the time of his retirement after the 2019 season. Manning also spent his entire 16-year NFL career with the New York Giants and started 210 consecutive games between 2004 and 2017, the third-longest such streak by a quarterback in league history.
The Athletic, meanwhile, reported that Manning is not viewed as an elite quarterback during one of the most talent-rich eras the position has ever seen. He never earned an All-Pro selection, was named to the Pro Bowl only four times, and ended his career with an even 117–117 record as a starter. He also led the league in interceptions on three separate occasions, a mark often cited by critics of his resume.
What ultimately sets Manning apart is his postseason legacy. He is one of just six players in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowl MVP awards. Among that group, the three players already eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, and Bart Starr, were all inducted on the first ballot. The remaining two, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, are widely expected to be unanimous selections once they become eligible.
(With AP inputs)