For the second year in a row, Eli Manning is a Hall of Fame finalist.
The former Giants quarterback is one of 15 modern-era finalists for the Class of 2026, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
The electees are set to be unveiled during the “NFL Honors” ceremony on Feb. 5.
This year’s group of finalists include four nominees in their first year of eligibility: Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Jason Witten and Frank Gore.
Manning, who is in his second year on the ballot, is one of 11 finalists who also made it to this stage last year. Four of the others — Adam Vinatieri, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt and Luke Kuechly — automatically advanced this far after finishing within the top seven of the Class of 2025 vote.
Terrell Suggs, Jahri Evans, Darren Woodson, Reggie Wayne and Marshal Yanda are also finalists again.
Meanwhile, former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams is a first-time finalist in his sixth year of eligibility.
Manning, 44, won Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants and is one of six players in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowl MVP awards. The others are Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr.
Manning ranks 11th in NFL history in passing yards (57,023) and passing touchdowns (366). He spent his entire 16-year career from 2004-19 with the Giants and at one point started 210 consecutive games — the third-longest streak by a quarterback in league history.
He and Brees are the only quarterbacks among this year’s finalists. Philip Rivers was one of the 26 semifinalists, but the 44-year-old pushed his Hall of Fame eligibility back by five years when he returned to play for the Indianapolis Colts this month.
The Hall of Fame will elect between four and eight members in its 2026 class, including up to five from the modern-era ballot. Inductees from the seniors category of voting also factor into the final number.
The Class of 2025 featured four members, including Jared Allen, Eric Allen and Antonio Gates from the modern-era ballot. Sterling Sharpe got in as a senior candidate.
This year, Brees — who ranks second in NFL history in passing yards (80,358) and passing touchdowns (571) — is expected to be a first-ballot inductee. Same goes for Fitzgerald, who ranks second all time in catches (1,432) and receiving yards (7,492).
Tom Coughlin, who was Manning’s head coach for both Super Bowl victories, is a semifinalist in the coaching category.
