Eli Manning will have to wait to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for at least another year. 

The legendary New York Giants quarterback didn't make the cut for the Class of 2025 in his first year of eligibility. Manning was one of 15 finalists who were in consideration. He didn't make the cut for the final 10 after a "vigorous discussion" about his candidacy.  

The group of four who will be inducted this summer in Canton did not include a quarterback. Instead, the group is made up of cornerback Eric Allen, defensive lineman Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe.   

Manning's case was complicated. He has two incredible playoff runs, two Super Bowl wins over the New England Patriots and two Super Bowl MVPs. There are also some gaudy stats that include being top 10 all time in passing yards (57,023) and touchdowns (366) when he retired following the 2019 NFL season and an incredible track record of durability -- Manning never missed a game in his 16-year career because of injury. 

The biggest obstacle, according to some voters in the room, was that Manning was never really in the discussion as the best player at his position for a chunk of his career. He had Hall of Fame moments -- including taking down Bill Belichick and Tom Brady twice on the biggest stage -- but not necessarily a Hall of Fame career otherwise. 

"In the interest of full transparency, I voted for Eli Manning and spoke up for him at our meeting. I believe Manning beating the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl with two-minute drives and being named Super Bowl MVP each time, along with currently being 11th all time in touchdown passes and yardage, presents a convincing résumé," Hall of Fame voter Gary Myers said.

"To get selected in the future, the voters must get past that Manning was never All-Pro or regular-season MVP and realize he played when those spots were not so available, playing in an era with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees."

Myers went on to say: "Eli's record was just .500, but Dan Fouts was only two games over .500 and Warren Moon was only one game over .500 -- but neither made it to the Super Bowl. In fact, Moon never made it to a conference championship game. Fouts and Moon were each first-ballot Hall of Famers."

Manning played in the same era as his brother Peyton, as well as Brady, Brees, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and several others. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection but never an All-Pro. The likes of Tony Romo, Cam Newton and Carson Palmer snuck in at least one All-Pro nod during Manning's career from 2004-19. 

That complete picture left him on the outside looking in after one go-round during the Hall of Fame process. 

The decision also had more than a few shaking their heads. 

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

"I certainly believe that he deserves it based on what he accomplished," Peyton Manning said earlier in the week on the "Adam Schefter Podcast." "To beat the Patriots once, OK, maybe. But to beat them twice, including their undefeated team, ask Belichick how he feels. I think it's pretty clear. I'm hoping for it, but when the time is right."

It certainly doesn't mean Manning won't ultimately get in. In fact, several voters in the room believe his time will come, probably sooner rather than later. That could be as soon as next year when players such as Brees, fellow quarterback Philip Rivers, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and tight end Jason Witten get added to the pool of possible inductees and are eligible for the first time. 

There are a lot of factors that go into whether a player is a first-ballot inductee aside from just whether he is deserving of making the Hall of Fame. The competition that specific year also plays a part. Only four to eight members are selected each year, so there is a cutoff, and sometimes there also are logjams from previous years that need sorting. In this case, remaining hopefuls at wide receiver and offensive lineman contributed to a first-timer such as Manning being a casualty. 

Manning is not the first notable NFL star to miss out on being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Former Giants star Michael Strahan, the NFL's single-season sack leader when he retired, didn't get in until his second try in 2014. Players such as wide receivers Cris Carter and Terrell Owens and defensive lineman John Randle were other notables who had to wait. 

Perhaps the closest Manning comparison for the Hall of Fame given his combination of Super Bowl rings and statistical inconsistency, former Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler, was inducted posthumously in 2016. That was as a senior committee selection after years of being passed over. 

Belichick, who also becomes eligible for the first time for the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year, made his stance on Eli Manning's candidacy known this past season during an appearance on the "ManningCast."

"Eli you don't look that good in a hoodie, but you will look great in a gold jacket," Belichick said. "I'm sure that's going to happen, and you deserve it so much."

The voters disagreed, at least for the Class of '25.