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Eli Manning retired in 2019 and missed his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025. He was passed over again earlier this year, but still responded to a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the best quarterback.
On Tuesday, a social media user floated a theory about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan, who now oversees football operations as team president, last played in an NFL game in 2022. He announced his retirement in 2024, making him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration beginning in 2028.
“Matt Ryan was a better QB than Eli Manning…people just love rings. Agree or not,” the post read.
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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning greets Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on October 22, 2018. (Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports)
Manning caught wind of the suggestion and chimed in, pointing to the two Super Bowl-winning teams he was a part of during his standout career with the New York Giants.
“I’ll reflect on this while I play with my rings…” Manning wrote in a tweet.
Ryan’s statistical production surpasses Manning’s, at least on paper. He was named NFL MVP in 2016, an honor Manning never earned. Ryan is also the most successful player in Falcons history, finishing his career with more than 62,000 passing yards in the regular season, compared to Manning’s 57,023.
NFC head coach Eli Manning leads a huddle during a practice session ahead of the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Both quarterbacks were selected to four Pro Bowls, but the key difference lies in the championships. Manning won the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011, while Ryan did it once but fell short. Manning threw for a single-season, career-high 4,933 during the run-up to his second Super Bowl title.
Ryan threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Falcons build a 25-point lead in the championship game, a matchup remembered by the New England Patriots pulling off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on January 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
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The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, the first in 1998, but the team is still chasing its elusive first championship.
The Giants celebrated their 100th season in 2024, winning four Super Bowls throughout the franchise’s century-long history.
