With all the talk the past few weeks of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s Hall of Fame prospects, several other legitimate candidates have been pushed to the back burner.

Quarterback Sage Rosenfels, a 12-year NFL veteran who served as Manning’s backup with the Giants in 2010, believes former All-Pro guard Chris Snee is also worthy of a gold jacket.

“I think Chris Snee is a Hall of Famer,” Rosenfels told the New York Post. “He was so strong in the running game, he was a really good pass protector, he was very smart.

“I played with a lot of guards in my career, Steve Hutchinson comes to mind as a guy that will have a chance to get into the Hall of Fame. I put Chris Snee as the best guard I ever saw play on a team that I played for in my 12 years.”

Snee was chosen in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Boston College, a pick that was completely overshadowed by the arrival of Eli Manning via a draft day trade. Snee was more noted for being Tom Coughlin’s son-in-law than an up-and-coming stud.

Snee shed that very quickly with his play. He was a staple on the Giants’ record-setting offensive line that anchored two Super Bowl-winning teams, was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro.

It’s a close call for the Hall of Fame, though. Snee was every good player and quietly did his job as well as, or better than most. He might have to wait for that gold jacket.