Eli Manning took another step closer to Canton.

The Giants' two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback is among 26 candidates in the Modern-Era Players category to reach the Semifinalist stage for possible election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. It is the second time Manning has made this round in his two years of eligibility.

Players making the cut to Semifinalist in their first year of eligibility are Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Philip Rivers, and Jason Witten. Each played his last professional football game in the 2020 season.

Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri automatically reached this stage by virtue of finishing in the top seven for election last year.

The list of Modern-Era Player Semifinalists began as a group of 128 nominees announced in September. The next step will be another vote to cut the list to 15 Finalists late this year.

Reduction voting also has occurred in the Coach, Contributor, and Seniors categories. The results of those ballots will be announced Dec. 3.

Tom Coughlin, who was Manning's head coach for his first 183 regular-season and 11 postseason starts, advanced earlier this month to the final nine.

In all, 20 Finalists will be presented at the Selection Committee's annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl LX: the 15 Modern-Era Players plus three Seniors, one Coach, and one Contributor.

While there is no set number for any class, bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new members will be selected.

The Class of 2026 will be announced at "NFL Honors" in San Francisco in February and enshrined in August in Canton.

Manning is the only player in franchise history to suit up for 16 seasons, and his 236 regular-season games (234 starts) and 248 games including postseason are both Giants records.

From Nov. 21, 2004 through Nov. 23, 2017, Manning started 210 consecutive regular-season games, then the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history (to Brett Favre's 297). Manning never missed a game because of injury.

At the time of retirement, Manning was one of just five players in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowl MVP awards. He was sixth in NFL history with 8,119 attempts and seventh with 4,895 completions, 57,023 yards, and 366 touchdown passes before he hung up the cleats in 2019.

Manning also excelled in the postseason, when he had an 8-4 record. He set Giants career playoff records with 400 passes, 242 completions, 2,815 yards, and 18 touchdown passes.

His 1,219 passing yards in the 2011 championship run remain a single NFL postseason record.

CLASS OF 2026 SEMIFINALISTS / MODERN-ERA PLAYERS

Eli Manning, QB – 2004-2019 New York Giants | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26)

Willie Anderson, T – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2021-26)

Drew Brees, QB – 2001-05 San Diego Chargers, 2006-2020 New Orleans Saints | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)

Lomas Brown, T – 1985-1995 Detroit Lions, 1996-98 Arizona Cardinals, 1999 Cleveland Browns, 2000-01 New York Giants, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)

Jahri Evans, G – 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2023-26)

Larry Fitzgerald, WR – 2004-2020 Arizona Cardinals | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)

Frank Gore, RB – 2005-2014 San Francisco 49ers, 2015-17 Indianapolis Colts, 2018 Miami Dolphins, 2019 Buffalo Bills, 2020 New York Jets | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)

Rodney Harrison, S – 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2021, 2023-26)

Torry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars | (Times as a Semifinalist: 12 – 2015-2026)

Luke Kuechly, LB – 2012-19 Carolina Panthers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26)

Robert Mathis, DE/LB – 2003-2016 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2022-26)

Philip Rivers, QB – 2004-2019 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, 2020 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)

Steve Smith Sr., WR – 2001-2013 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2022-26)

Terrell Suggs, LB/DE – 2003-2018 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26)

Fred Taylor, RB – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2020-26)

Earl Thomas, S – 2010-18 Seattle Seahawks, 2019 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26)

Adam Vinatieri, K – 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-2019 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26)

Hines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 10 – 2017-2026)

Reggie Wayne, WR – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2020-26)

Richmond Webb, T – 1990-2000 Miami Dolphins, 2001-02 Cincinnati Bengals | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26)

Vince Wilfork, DT – 2004-2014 New England Patriots, 2015-16 Houston Texans | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2022-26)

Kevin Williams, DT – 2003-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014 Seattle Seahawks, 2015 New Orleans Saints | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)

Steve Wisniewski, G – 1989-2001 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2014, 2025-26)

Jason Witten, TE – 2003-2019 Dallas Cowboys, 2020 Las Vegas Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)

Darren Woodson, S – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 10 – 2015, 2017, 2019-2026)

Marshal Yanda, G/T – 2007-2019 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26)