Boilermaker Rick wrote:
NME wrote:
I'm at the point where I'd like to hear/read it. Eli has the all time numbers and a couple of rings to go along with them that justify him going in on their own merit even taking away his last name and where he played.
He was never a dominant player. Even in his best years, he wasn't a top 5 quarterback outside of 2014 and 2015. He only had significantly more than 250 yards a game in 3/14 seasons. In his time period, he is clearly at least 6th on the list of best players at his position, and that doesn't include guys like Rivers or Big Ben or Matt Ryan.
So, a legitimate argument could be made that of the quarterbacks he overlapped with for a significant amount of time, he was the 9th best of them.
He was consistently in the top-10 every year he played I'd argue (you seem to at least echo this sentiment). So, I don't completely disagree with what you're saying.
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That means he is clearly being put in because of the two rings he won, and I think a lot of it had to do with his name and where he did. However, everyone who has won two Super Bowls as a quarterback, besides Jim Plunkett have made the HOF or will make the HOF so I can't say he didn't earn it based on that.
While I agree that this is the deciding factor (along with him winning MVP in both those games).. I'd argue that being top-10 all time (and climbing) in a few of the major passing categories is part of it now too. Rivers and Big Ben entered the league around the same time as Eli and Eli has better all time numbers in a few categories or is right there with the both of them. That also shows a pretty remarkable consistency at performing the job at a high level over a period of time (for all of them).
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If you don't treat two Super Bowl wins as something that trumps most other stats then you can at least make a case that the 9th best quarterback in his era doesn't get in.
I don't agree with this entirely based on my previous paragraph. I'd even argue that based on that previous paragraph he may be ranked higher than 9th in his era. I do however acknowledge the importance of rings and MVP's if you have them. And Eli does.
But numbers can, do, and should in some cases get you in too (and Eli's all time numbers are pretty good)..
Rivers is another one worth arguing for at this point purely based off the numbers being that he is top 10 all time in yards, TD's, and passer rating. But he doesn't have the rings to solidify it. At least not '1st ballot'. But I think theres an argument here for him.