October 23, 2024 at 02:13 PM ET
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the players who have advanced to the next stage in voting for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The Hall on Wednesday announced the 50 modern-day nominees who advanced from the original list of 167 nominees after voting by a newly created screening committee. The list includes eight players in their first year of eligibility and 10 players who reached the finals last year but did not receive enough support.
The full selection committee will then narrow the list of nominees down to 25 semifinalists in approximately four weeks. 15 finalists will then be selected for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new chapter. Players must receive 80% of the votes to participate with three to five players as Modern Era nominees.
There will also be votes for three top nominees, one contributor and one coach, with between one and three people from that group entering the room.
Leading the pack of candidates were Manning, Kuechly and Suggs in their first year of eligibility and postseason kicker Adam Vinatieri. Others were two key members of Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning 2013 season in running back Marshawn Lynch and safety Earl Thomas; two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Janda; Longtime San Francisco tackle Joe Staley has departed.
The Jets and defensive lineman Jared Allen lead the group of finalists returning from last year along with receivers Torrey Holt and Reggie Wayne. offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; Defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison. and running back Fred Taylor.
Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall after a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was selected first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset victory over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, throwing the game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.
Led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 QBs who have won multiple Super Bowls with eight of the nine eligible for the Hall.
Only Jim Plunkett was not drafted along with newer players like Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who are not eligible. Plunkett led in voting for the major candidates.
Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a single season but finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 TDs.
His best moments came in those two postseason runs. Manning joins Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of Super Bowl MVP awards.
Kuechly and Suggs were among the best defensive players of their era, with Kuechly being named Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.
Kuechly’s career was short but influential. Carolina’s first-round pick in 2012 was a five-time All-Pro in his eight-year career with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
During his eight-year career, Kuechly led all NFL linebackers in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defended (66).
Suggs was one of the league’s top pass rushers during his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth since they became an official statistic in 1982.
Suggs had seven double-digit seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011 when he was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.
He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in Kansas City, where he helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.
Vinatieri was one of the most prolific kickers in NFL history, kicking the winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during the New England dynasty.
He helped spark the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks – a 45-yarder into the snow to force overtime in a Tuck Rule game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the winning kick in overtime and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play to win 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams.
He then hit a 41-yarder two years later to give the Patriots a 32-29 win in Super Bowl XXXVIII against Carolina. Vinatieri also won Super Bowls in 2004 with New England and in the 2006 season with Indianapolis.
Vinatieri is the NFL’s career leader in points (2,673) and field goals made (599) over his 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.
Gates was a three-time Pro Bowler and finished his career with 955 catches for 11,841 yards and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 receptions.
Allen was a four-time Pro Bowler and finished his career with 136 sacks, including a league-leading 22 in 2011 for Minnesota.
