Former New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin did not hesitate when asked during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show if quarterback Eli Manning is Hall of Fame worthy.

Yes,” Coughlin replied quickly.

“I know the inner workings of the young man. I know how he performs in big games. I know what he did for us in the years that I was the head coach with the Giants,” Coughlin said. “Just like anyone else, some very, very good, some games not as good as others, he’d be the first one to talk about that. But, overall, the quality of the young man, the character of the young man, the way in which he works on the field. MVP of two Super Bowls, arguably at least one of the games being one of the greatest of all time,

“In my opinion he certainly was always our franchise quarterback and worthy of any accolade that could come his way.”

I’m not going to spend time here building a big “for” or “against” the Hall of Fame case for Manning. I’m just going to say that while I wouldn’t have expected any other answer from Coughlin, Manning’s Hall of Fame candidacy is going to be a fascinating one to watch when the time comes.