2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

I would make it a point to make Eli wait at least a year. Obviously he will go it - 4x pro bowl, 2 SB MVPs and Payton Award winner, but the stats are pedestrian.

Gates, Vinatieri, Kuechly, Torry Holt (7x ProBowl!), Marshawn Lynch.

 

Marshawn may get in at some point, but it certainly won't be first ballot.

I want to see who makes the next cut to 50 but I'm leaning towards Gates, Kuechly, Vinatieri, Jahri Evans and Jared Allen

 

It's about time ... I know the WR spot is crowded, but Torry Holt is due.

Not sure I see a better linebacker on the list than Luke Kuechly. The Panthers' other LB needs company in Canton.

Good to see that Ryan Kalil is on the list. Grossly under appreciated during his time in Charlotte ... and given the current line's struggles, he's missed even more these days.

 

They have a receiving problem.

Holt, Wayne and Gates were all finalists last year.

Fitzgerald and Witten are first-timers next year

Gronk is eligible the year after that. Antonio Brown is eligible for the 2027 class also and who knows what people will do with him.

Anquan Boldin didn't even make it to this point and he's ninth all-time in catches


If you assume the 10 returning finalists get that far again, and Eli, Vinatieri, Kuechley and Suggs do as well, there's only one other slot which I don't think will matter in the long run.


The first five cut were Eric Allen, Jahri Evans, Rodney Harrison, Fred Taylor and Reggie Wayne

Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Antonio Gates, Torry Holt and Darren Woodson were the second cut.

So it makes sense they are the five that would be next. The problem is you can, and they will, argue that all four of those newcomers should go in now. So if they choose that route, there's basically no wiggle room for the holdovers.

And if you want to plan ahead, the next class has Brees, Rivers, Gore in addition to Fitzgerald and Witten

 

The seniors pool was cut to 60 (50 plus ties) on the road to get to three finalists:

QUARTERBACKS (5): Ken Anderson, Charlie Conerly, Roman Gabriel, Jack Kemp, Jim Plunkett.

RUNNING BACKS (7): Alan Ameche, Ottis Anderson, Larry Brown, Roger Craig, Chuck Foreman, Cecil Isbell, Paul “Tank” Younger.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS (10): Mark Clayton, Isaac Curtis, Boyd Dowler, Henry Ellard, Harold Jackson, Billy "White Shoes” Johnson, Stanley Morgan, Art Powell, Sterling Sharpe, Otis Taylor.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (12): Ed Budde, Ox Emerson, Bill Fralic, Chris Hinton, Joe Jacoby, Mike Kenn, Bob Kuechenberg, George Kunz, Ralph Neely, Dick Schafrath, Jim Tyrer, Al Wistert.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (6): L.C. Greenwood, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Jim Marshall, Harvey Martin, Leslie O’Neal, Bill Stanfill.

LINEBACKERS (11): Carl Banks, Maxie Baughan, Bill Bergey, Joe Fortunato, Larry Grantham, Lee Roy Jordan, Clay Matthews Jr., Tommy Nobis, Andy Russell, Pat Swilling, Phil Villapiano.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (8): Dick Anderson, Deron Cherry, Pat Fischer, Lester Hayes, Albert Lewis, Eddie Meador, Lemar Parrish, Everson Walls.

SPECIAL TEAMS (1): Steve Tasker.

 

Buckets did not advance

 

I am STUNNED, STUNNED that Jim Tyrer advanced.

Of note to me for guys who didn’t make the cut, in respect to who did at certain positions:

Daryle Lamonica, Phil Simms, Herschel Walker (although I think we know why this might be the case), Mark Bavaro, Gino Cappelletti, Lavvie Dilweg, Del Shofner, Mark Gastineau, Eugene "Big Daddy” Lipscomb, Karl Mecklenberg,

 

Joe Jacoby, L.C. Greenwood. Get 'em in.

 

I'm all in for Shoes.

 

25 Contributors will be reduced to nine semifinalists, it is certainly an eclectic list and honestly several of them are a stretch:

Bud Adams
Roone Arledge
Chris Berman
Howard Cosell
Otho Davis
John Facenda
Mike Giddings
Ralph Hay
Frank “Bucko” Kilroy
Don Klosterman
Eddie Kotal
Robert Kraft
Virginia McCaskey
Rich McKay
John McVay
Art Modell
Lee Remmel
Eddie Robinson
Art Rooney Jr.
Jerry Seeman
Seymour Siwoff
Amy Trask
Jim Tunney
Doug Williams
John Wooten

 

If Tyrer had not killed his wife then himself, he'd already be in.

 

Virginia McCaskey? LOL!