ClutchPoints
Following his surprising snub from the 2025 NFL Hall of Fame class, two-time Super Bowl MVP and New York Giants legend Eli Manning was offered advice from former Los Angeles Chargers star Antonio Gates.
During the 2025 NFL Honors, this year’s Hall of Fame class was announced. However, it did not include Manning, which upset Giants fans who believed he was a first-ballot NFL Hall of Fame player.
Gates has been through it before as well — he did not make it until his second year of eligibility. So, he was a good voice of reason for Manning. Speaking to TMZ, he told Manning to keep his chin up. His time will come.
“As competitors, we always want to win in anything we do,” Gates explained. “And I think at the end of the day, you can control what you can control. I’ve been there; I know what it’s like to come so close yet fall short.
“To me, going into this year was all about just being the best version of me. It’s an ongoing process; that’s how we got to this point — you’ve don’t got time to worry about things you can’t control. Time is everything, and God. It’s very simple — God is everything, and I’m sitting here a 2025 Hall of Famer,” he continued.
The debate over Manning’s Hall of Fame candidacy has been going on for years. While he is a two-time Super Bowl MVP, he also had a .500 regular season record. He also led the league in interceptions several times.
Still, it was somewhat surprising that Manning did not make the 2025 NFL Hall of Fame class. It was a smaller group than usual, with only four players making the cut.
Antonio Gates, who played for the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers, will be inducted alongside Jared Allen, Eric Allen, and Sterling Sharpe.
Perhaps Manning will make it in his second year of eligibility like Gates. It would be fitting, given the advice given to him by the legendary tight end.
Manning was drafted by the then-San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft. However, he did not want to play for them, resulting in him being traded to the New York Giants.
After taking the reins from Kurt Warner, Manning never looked back as the Giants’ starter. He started over 200 consecutive games for them before his streak was infamously snapped in 2017.
Along the way, Manning threw for 57,023 yards, 366 touchdowns, and 244 interceptions. He was named to four Pro Bowls and named Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2016. The Giants also inducted him into the Ring of Honor and retired his jersey number.
Since retiring, Manning has started hosting the ManningCast broadcast with his brother, Peyton, for ESPN. They will have various celebrities on their show while they commentate Monday Night Football broadcasts.
He and his brother have also become...
