To be clear, he does not want this. If Manning is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, he’ll receive that honor in his home city in front of his friends and family. It would be another perfect moment for an athlete who, during his career, made a few of those happen.

The case is a bit complicated for the two-time Super Bowl MVP, who has a .500 career record as a starter and was a Pro Bowler in just four of his 16 seasons.