"The knock." It's coming.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame unveiled its 15 modern-era finalists for the Class of 2025 back in December:
- Eric Allen, CB
- Jared Allen, DE
- Willie Anderson, OT
- Jahri Evans, OG
- Antonio Gates, TE
- Torry Holt, WR
- Luke Kuechly, LB
- Eli Manning, QB
- Steve Smith Sr., WR
- Terrell Suggs, DE/OLB
- Fred Taylor, RB
- Adam Vinatieri, K
- Reggie Wayne, WR
- Darren Woodson, S
- Marshal Yanda, OG/OT
Up to five of those players will be revealed as Hall of Famers on Thursday night at NFL Honors, which will air live at 9 p.m. ET on FOX and NFL Network and stream on NFL+ from the Saenger Theater in New Orleans. This has easily become one of the best parts of Super Bowl week. Who's it going to be this year? Here's my best guess, and just to be clear -- yes, these are predictions and not necessarily a reflection of how I would vote.
New England Patriots, 1996-2005; Indianapolis Colts, 2006-2019
I don't think special-teamers have received a fair shake over the years. Kicker Jan Stenerud was a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 1991 and we didn't see another pure specialist inducted until punter Ray Guy in 2014. Since then, kicker Morten Andersen (2017) and return specialist Devin Hester (2024) have been enshrined. So, we're cool with special-teamers now? OK, good. So, I believe Vinatieri will get in on the first ballot, no question. He made the game-tying and game-winning kicks in the famed “Tuck Rule” game. He hit the walk-off against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, and kicked the game-winner against the Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. He provided plenty of other memorable moments. I mean, he's the all-time leader in career points (2,673). This one is pretty easy.
St. Louis Rams, 1999-2008; Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009
Speaking of that Rams team, it's time to break up the logjam at the wide receiver position. There are a lot of worthy Hall of Fame candidates at the position, and the field is only going to get more stacked next time around when guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Dez Bryant and Julian Edelman become eligible for the first time. I would love to see Holt in the Hall of Fame. He deserves it as one of the most dominant receivers of his era. This is long overdue.
San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers 2003-2018
Did you know Gates played basketball in college? Just kidding. I mean, he did, but it seemed like announcers couldn't wait to mention that in every game he played. Seriously, though, Gates was one of the premier tight ends of his era. He was one of the most reliable targets for Drew Brees and Philip Rivers during his time in San Diego. I'm kind of shocked Gates didn't get enough votes in 2024, his first year of eligibility.
Carolina Panthers, 2012-2019
Kuechly played for just eight seasons, that is true. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year (2012) and Defensive Player of the Year (2013) in his first two seasons. He was also a five-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. And you might think to yourself, those credentials are a lot like the credentials of Patrick Willis, and it took Willis years to get into the Hall. You would be right, but I don't believe Kuechly is going to be made to wait.
WHICH LEADS US TO ...
New York Giants, 2004-2019
Again, I'm not saying how I would vote here. However, if Manning does not get in on the first ballot, he would join Jim Plunkett, for at least a year, as the only Hall-eligible starting quarterbacks to win two Super Bowls and not be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. The case against Eli is that he was never one of the truly elite quarterbacks of his era when you compare him with his older brother, Peyton, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. But Eli's teams also beat Rodgers and Brady twice during Super Bowl runs. People love to say wins are not a quarterback stat, but the truth is Super Bowl wins matter a lot in this context. My PREDICTION is the voters will put Manning in this year. The voting isn't always easy to predict, but that's how I see it playing out this time.
