HOF Voter: Eli Manning Was Focus of 'Vigorous Discussion' During 2025 Deliberations

A great deal of debate was reportedly had among Pro Football Hall of Fame voters before deciding against making former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning a first-ballot Hall of Famer on Thursday.

Speaking to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, ESPN NFL reporter and Hall of Fame voter Sal Paolantonio said, "To me, Eli was absolutely a first-ballot guy. There was a vigorous discussion about his candidacy—he has a lot of support to get into Canton, hopefully sooner rather than later."

Tight end Antonio Gates, defensive end Jared Allen and cornerback Eric Allen were the only modern-era finalists elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday, along with wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, who was a chosen among the pool of senior finalists.

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