Why Second Super Bowl Ring Would Make Eli Manning Certified Hall of Famer

If Eli Manning were to retire right now, would he be considered a Hall of Fame quarterback?

No, however, he is very close and it is most definitely reasonable to argue that Eli is deserving of pro football immortality.

But, a second Super Bowl ring would easily solidify a place for him in Canton, Ohio.

To answer the "why," let's break down a few of reasons.

One More Than Older Brother Peyton

On some level, Eli's comparison to his older brother is comparable to that of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

However, only if Eli manages to win a second Super Bowl ring for the Giants. The reason is because, when we look at the major differences between Brady and Peyton, it's simply jewelry and not numbers.

Brady, no doubt, has put up some incredible numbers, but Peyton has Brady and Eli beat when we're talking strictly statistics. That said, with Brady having three rings to Peyton's one, he obviously has the edge. Well, same goes for Eli (if he wins Super Bowl XLVI).

Whenever Eli does retire, his numbers may not match Peyton's, but a second Super Bowl ring in two tries does move him past older brother. Regardless of who the player is and whom they played for, the first thing anyone looks at are championships.

No matter what anyone says, Super Bowls trump stats because regular-season numbers alone don't win championships. 

Beating Tom Brady Twice

This one is easily the most convincing reason.

Brady is considered the greatest quarterback of this era and rightfully so, as he's been the most decorated and successful despite not having any Hall of Fame caliber talent aside from Randy Moss, which ironically was the one Super Bowl he lost.

In any event, having already beaten Brady once is impressive and a second time in as many tries on the big stage goes beyond remarkable. It's also something that Peyton wouldn't hold a candle to.

By the time he retires, Brady is going to be (as he is right now) arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Well, if he falls again in Super Bowl XLVI, two of his biggest postseason losses will be courtesy of the Eli Manning-lead New York Giants.

Being that Eli is the face of the franchise right now, as well as basically carrying his team through the 2011 regular season, if you beat Brady in two Super Bowls, that's Hall of Fame talent any way you slice it.

Eli by the Numbers

His numbers alone aren't good enough to get him into Canton, however, they are good enough to back up at least one Super Bowl win and most definitely credible enough to back two Super Bowl wins.

Excluding his rookie year as that's the only non-full season for Eli, he threw for at least 3,200 yards from 2005-08 with a 92:35 touchdown:interception ratio.

When 2009 began, Eli undoubtedly raised the bar.

Since, Manning has thrown for over 4,000 yards three straight years with an 87:55 touchdown:interception ratio.

The 2011 season marked his most dominating and impressive year as Eli hit over 4,900 yards and practically carried the Giants to the postseason. With no ground game to back him, as well as numerous injuries on each side of the ball, Eli threw for more yards than Peyton ever did.

Include an average rating of 89.4 between the past four years and Eli has the efficiency to make his resume even more reputable.

John Rozum on Twitter.