The Pro Football Hall of Fame will have 378 members after the Class of 2024 is inducted. Seven more men were fitted for gold jackets this year, following nine players who were “greatest in the game” in the Class of ’23.
There’s no doubt the Class of 2025 will be loaded near the maximum selections again, but before then, there will be a few more tough decisions for the voters.
Here’s ranking the players who retired in 2020 based on their chances of getting a call from Canton, either on their initial ballot or from a near-future vote.
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His “early” retirement won’t be a factor, and he won’t wait as long as 2024 inductee Patrick Willis. In his eight seasons, Kuechly had seven Pro Bowl and seven All-Pro honors. He completed the rare double of Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in his first two seasons. He was a popular, dominant tackling and coverage force, helped by playing for only one team and being well respected and liked by local media.
Vinatieri will be the sixth member of the exclusive kickers and punters club in the Hall of Fame, joining Morten Anderson, Jan Stenerud, George Blanda, Lou Groza, and Ray Guy. He was a high-profile leg who made massive playoff kicks in the biggest moments, attached to Super Bowl-winning efforts by Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
Suggs ranks No. 8 among the official leaders in career sacks (139). Everyone else in the top 11, from No. 1 Bruce Smith (200 sacks) to Richard Dent and John Randle (both at 137.5) has retired and already is in the Hall of Fame.
Looks like the Ravens might be in play to participate in the Hall of Fame Game next season with Suggs and Yanda, the latter of which got eight Pro Bowl trips and seven All-Pro selections in 13 seasons. After toggling between tackle and guard to find his way early in his career, Yanda was an unstoppable run-blocking force the rest of the way when healthy.
Manning will create some controversy with his eventual selection, helped by his surname, relation to Peyton, and his likability in the NFL’s biggest market. It’s hard to win over New York football scribes, but Eli did it on the field when it counted and always brought it off the field.
Manning does have his two Super Bowl rings, both at the expense of Brady and Bill Belichick, but also note he went to only four Pro Bowls in 16 seasons and never got an All-Pro mention. Peyton, meanwhile, racked up 14 Pro Bowls, 10 All-Pro nods, and five MVPs.
What also will be ignored in Eli’s selection but shouldn’t is the fact he is No. 64 all-time in passer rating (84.1). Dan Marino (86.4) and Brett Favre (86.0) weren’t that much better, but they had bigger accolades, including MVPs. Manning compares best to Troy Aikman, where his big winning spikes will outweigh some average play.
Lynch will be a sentimental favorite, too, because he’s such a popular guy off the field and a memorable, thunderous runner on the field. He also has personality and a Canton-made nickname in Beast Mode. Lynch is only 29th all-time in career rushing yards (10, 413), but he’s 17th in rushing TDs (85). The scoring will help his case,, as well as media from multiple cities pushing for him.
Staley was the NFC counterpart to Joe Thomas as a consistent blocking rock for the 49ers through several offenses and quarterbacks. His six Pro Bowls and three All-Pro are solid, but he likely will need to wait a bit before the call.
Did Frederick play long enough as a dominant, inside force next to future Hall of Famers Zack Martin and Tyron Smith, even being backed by playing for Dallas? That will be the only question. He had five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro honors before his career was shortened by his diagnosis for muscle-weakening Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Talib was having a promising career as an NFL commentator to raise his profile, but when not in that visible role, his star power has waned. His case is pretty good, as he was a shutdown corner with five Pro Bowls, two All-Pros, and a Super Bowl ring to his credit, but playing for five teams and peaking mostly in his four-year mid-career stretch with Denver will likely keep him in the “Hall of Very Good.”
That list above adds to the 10 finalists from this year who carry over into next year’s ballot:
Gates shouldn’t have needed to wait any longer, as one of history’s best receiving tight ends should make it in his second year of eligibility. Evans has the strongest case between the two offensive linemen, while Holt and Wayne will join the wideouts in the Hall very soon.
