The Finalists:
Jared Allen
Eric Allen
Willie Anderson
Jahri Evans
Antonio Gates
Torry Holt
Luke Kuechly
Eli Manning
Steve Smith Sr.
Terrell Suggs
Fred Taylor
Adam Vinatieri
Reggie Wayne
Darren Woodson
Marshal Yanda
The five players in their first year of eligibility:
Luke Kuechly
Eli Manning
Terrell Suggs
Adam Vinatieri
Marshal Yanda
Of the remaining 10 finalists, Steve Smith Sr. is the only one that’s a first-time finalist. The other nine have been through this before. Some have been through it too many times.
The only finalist from last year that didn’t make it this year is Rodney Harrison. I wonder what changed.
This is Jared Allen’s fifth time as a finalist. He’s been eligible for five years. He’s reached the final 10 the past two years. Somehow, for some reason, Dwight Freeney leapfrogged him last year despite being behind Allen in the queue the year before. Enough! This is Allen’s time.
So, what happens next?
The fate of the 15 Modern-era finalists will be discussed, debated and decided prior to Super Bowl LIX. The Hall of Fame fates of Seniors Finalists, Coach Finalist, and Contributor Finalist will also be discussed, debated, and decided. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will be announced on February 6 during the NFL Honors broadcast.
Seniors Finalists:
Maxie Baughan
Jim Tyrer
Sterling Sharpe
Coach Finalist:
Mike Holmgren
Contributor Finalist:
Ralph Hay
There are new rules regarding the voting of the Seniors, Coach, and Contributor finalists. Instead of dealing with each separately, they are dealt with as a group at this stage. Of the five finalists, as many as three and as few as one can make it. For whatever reason, the Hall has made it much more difficult for the Seniors. Seeing as there are still so many deserving players from the early decades of the league, this change was a giant step in the wrong direction.
Here’s how I see the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Jared Allen
Antonio Gates
Torry Holt
Luke Kuechly
Willie Anderson
Maxie Baughan
Jim Tyrer
Ralph Hay
The new rules regarding the Senior, Coach, and Contributor are ridiculous. All five should make it this year. I believe the voters will probably go with Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe, and Mike Holmgren. They’ll probably scratch Ralph Hay from the list simply because his league days were the first few years of the 1920s. Despite being tasked with overseeing and respecting the entire history of professional football, many of the voters have narrowed that time frame to their own lifetime. Those clowns shouldn’t be in the room. The voters will probably use off-the-field issues to eliminate Jim Tyrer.
Antonio Gates is probably the lone automatic pick. Jared Allen should be but his past experience with the voters probably makes him less than a certainty. A receiver logjam is forming again. To ease that, a receiver should be included. Torry Holt edges Reggie Wayne and Steve Smith Sr. If it weren’t for the surprising Hall of Fame wait of Patrick Willis, I’d have Luke Kuechly as first-year certainty. Willis’ wait was a puzzle. Willis and Kuechly were two of the best off-the-ball linebackers of my lifetime. I thought both had careers that warranted first-year Hall of Fame induction. If Willis had to wait a couple years, I wouldn’t be surprised if the voters forced Kuechly to also wait. Who knows? I like Willie Anderson or Darren Woodson to round out the Class.
The Class I’d like to see:
Jared Allen
Antonio Gates
Luke Kuechly
Steve Smith Sr.
Terrell Suggs
Maxie Baughan
Sterling Sharpe
Ralph Hay
If Allen makes it this, I’m in Canton in August for the great event. It would be fourth Induction experience. In each of the previous three, a former Baltimore Ravens was inducted. Terrell Suggs would make it four-for-four. Kuechly and Smith Sr. were two of my favorite players of the past 25 years. It’d be fun to see them receive their much-deserved Gold Jackets.
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