Days before the end of 2024, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced the 15 Finalists who have advanced for possible Hall of Fame induction in 2025.
The class will be announced on February 6 as part of the NFL honors show
*Means they were a Finalist last year
**Means they are eligible for the first time.
The Finalists are:
Quarterbacks (1):
**Eli Manning: NYG 2005-19. Manning went to two Super Bowls and won them, as did the Super Bowl MVPs. A four-time Pro Bowl and Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, Manning passed for 57,023 Yards and 366 Touchdowns.
It is no shock to see Manning here as the lone Quarterback, but his candidacy has some flaws. Manning was never considered among the best three at QB in any year, and his overall record is .500. Despite this, he is gaining the most attention of any candidate. Ranked #99 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Running Backs (1):
*Fred Taylor: JAX 1998-2008 & NWE 2009-10. Taylor was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2007, and he accumulated 14,079 Yards from Scrimmage with 11,695 yards on the ground. He also had 74 Touchdowns and is the only Running Back to make the finals, and he is now a two-time Finalist. Ranked #167 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Wide Receivers (3)
**Torry Holt: STL 1999-2008 & JAX 2009. A Super Bowl Champion with the St. Louis Rams, Holt went to seven Pro Bowls and led the NFL in Receiving Yards twice (2000 & 2003). The one-time First Team All-Pro finished his career with 13,382 Yards and 74 TDs. Holt is now a six-time Finalist. Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Steve Smith Sr.: 2001-16, CAR, BAL. Smith led the NFL in Receptions (103), Receiving Yards (1,563), and Receiving Touchdowns (12) in 2005, and he was a two-time First Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler. Smith accumulated 14,731 Yards with 81 TDs and is a Finalist for the first time. Ranked #24 on Notinhalloffame.com.
**Reggie Wayne: IND 2001-12. Wayne was a career Colt, winning a Super Bowl there while earning six Pro Bowls and a First Team All-Pro. He led the NFL in Receiving Yards in 2007 (1,510) and has significantly more Yards (14,345) than any other Preliminary candidate. He also has 82 Touchdowns, and like Holt, he is a Finalist for the sixth time. Ranked #11 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Tight Ends (1)
*Antonio Gates: SDG 2003-16 & LAC 2017-18. Gates went to the Pro Bowl every year from 2004 to 2011 and was a three-time First Team All-Pro. A Finalist last year, he had 116 Touchdowns and 11,841 Yards. It was a mild surprise that he was not inducted in 2024. Ranked #1 on Norinhalloffame.com.
Offensive Lineman (3):
*Willie Anderson (T): CIN 1996-2007 & BAL 2008. Anderson was chosen for four Pro Bowls in a row (2003-06), with his last three being First Team All-Pro worthy. Anderson has been a Finalist for the previous two years. Ranked #115 on Notinhalloffame.com.
*Jahri Evans (G): NOR 2006-16 & GNB 2017. Evans went to six consecutive Pro Bowls (2009-14) and was a First Team All-Pro in the first four. He is also a Super Bowl Champion with the Saints and is now a two-time Finalist. Ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com.
*Marshal Yanda (G): BAL 2007-19. A Super Bowl Champion with Baltimore, Yanda went to eight Pro Bowls with two First Team and five Second Team All-Pros. Like Manning, he is a Finalist in his first year on the ballot. Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Defensive Linemen (1)
**Jared Allen (DE): KAN 2004-07, MIN 2008-13, CHI 2014-15, CAR 2015. Allen twice led the NFL in Sacks (2007 & 2011) and would have 136.0 in total. Allen also was the 2011 runner-up for the AP Defensive Player of the Year, though he did win the Sporting News DPOY. A five-time Pro Bowler and a First Team All-Pro in four of those years, Allen had been a Finalist in all five of his years of eligibility. Ranked #18 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Linebackers: (2)
**Luke Kucchly: CAR 2012-19. Kuechly is a strong contender to enter Canton on his first year of eligibility as he is a former Defensive Rookie of the Year (2012) and Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. A two-time leader in Combined Tackles, Kuechly was a seven-time Pro Bowl and five-time First Team All-Pro. Kuechly is also a first-time Finalist in year one. Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.
*Terrell Suggs (Also DE): BAL 2003-18, ARI 2019 & KAN 2019. Suggs was the 2003 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and eight years later, he was the consensus Defensive Player of the Year. He went to seven Pro Bowls, was a one-time First Team All-Pro, and compiled 139 Sacks, 202 Tackles for Loss, and 200 Quarterback Hits. He was also a huge part of Baltimore’s second Super Bowl, and as a veteran, he retired, winning a second one with Kansas City. Like Kuechly, he is a Finalist in his first year of eligibility. Ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Defensive Backs: (2)
*Eric Allen (CB): 1988-01, PHI, NOR, OAK. Allen secured 54 Interceptions and 787 Tackles and would have six Pro Bowl Seasons, with one earning a First Team All-Pro Selection and a UPI Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was a Finalist last year. Ranked #46 on Notinhalloffame.com.
*Darren Woodson (S): DAL 1992-03. Woodson was part of the Cowboys’ three Super Bowl Titles in the early 90s, a five-time Pro Bowl and three-time First Team All-Pro. He has been a Semi-Finalist multiple times before and has 23 career Interceptions with 11 Sacks and 967 Combined Tackles. Ranked #70 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Special Teams: (1)
**Adam Vinatieri PK: NWE 1996-2005 & IND 2006-19. Entering his first year on the ballot, Vinatieri was a clutch performer who won four Super Bowls and was a three-time First Team All-Pro. He is the all-time leader in Points Scored (2,673) and Field Goals Made (599). He is also a Finalist in his first year on the ballot. Ranked #93 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Failing to advance:
Ricky Watters: SFO 1992-01, SFO, PHI, SEA. Anquan Boldin: ARI 2003-09, BAL 2010-12 & SFO 2014-15 & DET 2016. Hines Ward: PIT 1998-2011. Richmond Webb (T): MIA 1990-2000 & CIN 2001-02. Steve Wisniewski (G): RAI 1989-94 & OAK 1995-2001. Robert Mathis (DE, Also LB): IND 2003-16. Vince Wilfork (DT/NT): NWE 2002-14, HOU 2015-16. James Harrison: PIT 2002, 2003-12 & 2017 -17, CIN 2013, NWE 2017. Rodney Harrison (S): SFG 1994-2002 & NWE 2003-08. Earl Thomas (S): SEA 2010-18 & BAL 2019.
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