Drew Brees, recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has voiced his support for Eli Manning's candidacy, asserting that the former New York Giants quarterback belongs among the sport's legends.

Manning, who led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles, has faced debate regarding his Hall of Fame eligibility since retiring. He has not received enough votes to become a modern-era finalist in his first two years of eligibility.

"Yeah, he is [in the Hall of Fame]," Brees told Fox News Digital, also highlighting his work with DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS. "It's always funny to hear how people want to evaluate the quarterback position. I mean, look, there's so much that goes into it. It's body of work, it's consistency, certainly championships factor into it. I think when you look at all those things, it's hard to argue the things that he accomplished in his career with his two championships, and then, you know, his body of work and his consistency."

Brees described Manning's 16-year career with the Giants as "impressive," particularly noting his success against a strong era of quarterbacks. Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, and Aaron Rodgers were all prominent quarterbacks during that period.

"I kind of look at that as kind of an era of quarterbacks that we all battled against each other, man," Brees said. "It was some epic battles , too, when you look at them. I think we all brought out the best in each other in a lot of ways because we knew what we were going up against week in and week out."

Arguments against Manning's Hall of Fame inclusion often point to his even regular-season record of 117-117, a lack of First-Team All-Pro selections, and no MVP votes. He also led the league in interceptions three times and finished his career with a 60.3% completion rate.

However, Manning's durability, demonstrated by playing in 210 consecutive regular-season games, along with his career statistics and pivotal playoff performances, particularly his two Super Bowl victories over the New England Patriots dynasty, present a strong case for his enshrinement, according to Brees.

Outside of football, Brees is involved with Walk-on’s Sports Bistreaux, a sports bar franchise concept. He emphasized the importance of providing access to a wide range of sporting events for customers, facilitated by DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS, which serves over 300,000 bars and restaurants.