Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has advanced to the semifinal round in the voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the second straight year he has reached that stage.

Let’s be honest, though. Manning is not going to be part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Nor is he likely to be part of any Hall of Fame class in the near future.

That is because Pro Football Hall of Fame bylaws limit the selection to between four and eight new members each year. The competition for that limited number of gold jackets is even tougher than it was a year ago when Manning did not make it past the round of 15 semifinalists.

That is largely because two first-time eligible quarterbacks, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, are likely to garner more support from Hall of Fame voters than

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