Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

As you can see, there is a lot to discuss on Eli. Which is why two voters — Jets' rep and Giants' supporter Gary Myers, and the Talk of Fame Two's Clark Judge — have said recently that they expect the debate around Eli to be one of the longest and most heated in recent history. Myers noted in February on the Giants' show Big Blue View: “I’m anticipating the most intense debate we’ve ever had. This really appears to be a divisive issue.”

As Judge told my colleagues Kirk Buchner and Chris Mouradian on the “Not in the Hall of Fame” podcast in September: “That is going to be a polarizing conversation. Wait until you see the length of debate on that. It’s going to go well over an hour, I guarantee you that. It’s going to be heated.”

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 2:59 pm Great article on TOFTWO, Jack

readjack wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:42 pm Thank you both. I fully expect to see Eli in the 50. We ended up at 54 with ties, including these non-first-year players who have never been finalists:

1. Ben Coates
2. Richmond Webb
3. John Abraham
4. Neil Smith
5. Kevin Williams
6. Randall Cunningham
7. Shaun Alexander
8. Lomas Brown
9. Nick Mangold
10. Tom Nalen
11. Lorenzo Neal
12. Logan Mankins
13. Lance Briggs
14. Donovan McNabb
15. Charles Tillman
16. Priest Holmes
17. Jimmy Smith
18. Ruben Brown
19. La'Roi Glover
20. Eugene Robinson
21. Steve McNair
22. Ted Washington
23. Willie McGinest
24. Shane Lechler
25. Brian Mitchell

So that's 25 players who have never been semifinalists. On the one hand, perhaps some of these players would have made a top 50 in years past. On the other hand, clearly some of them fall outside voting patterns: Coates, Lomas, the centers, the QBs, the DTs, the OLBs, the specialists. Eli fits nicely in their patterns and I expect to see him in the 50. I'm hoping for the good of the process, they at the very least leave him out of the finals, if not the semis.

JameisBrownston wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2024 12:39 am Is it looking now like Eli will have to wait? Everyone here seems to be expecting so. I was thinking he'd be forced through. I probably wouldn't have him in the HOF tbh but I'll be satisfied if he lasts a few years.

JameisBrownston wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2024 12:39 am Is it looking now like Eli will have to wait? Everyone here seems to be expecting so. I was thinking he'd be forced through. I probably wouldn't have him in the HOF tbh but I'll be satisfied if he lasts a few years.

readjack wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2024 8:57 am

JameisBrownston wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2024 12:39 am Is it looking now like Eli will have to wait? Everyone here seems to be expecting so. I was thinking he'd be forced through. I probably wouldn't have him in the HOF tbh but I'll be satisfied if he lasts a few years.

With the new math possibly reducing class size, and his high negatives, I won't be surprised if Eli does not get in this year. He shouldn't. If he doesn't get in this year, then next year has Brees and Fitzgerald, 2027 has Gronk and AP, 2028 has Brady and Watt. Those are two locks per year, leaving 1-3 slots.

QBs coming on the ballot: 2026 Rivers, 2027 Roethlisberger (and Newton) (parens because I know I'm in the minority on his relevance), 2028 Matt Ryan. Eli's case will be trickier when weighed against his peers, as it should be.

I think that explains the push for him this year.