Category: Pro Football Hall of Fame

Jarrett Bailey’s 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

While all 15 finalists undoubtedly have their respective arguments for earning their induction, these five would get my vote as to who will make up the class of 2024.

The 15 finalists for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class have been announced. Five of these modern-era candidates will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next August, and we will find out who they are on Feb. 8 during the “NFL Honors.”

While all 15 finalists undoubtedly have their respective arguments for earning their induction, these five would get my vote as to who will make up the class of 2024.

First, here are all 15 finalists.

  • Eric Allen, Cornerback – 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders
  • Jared Allen, Defensive End – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers
  • Willie Anderson, Offensive Tackle – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
  • Jahri Evans, Guard – 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers
  • Dwight Freeney, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker – 2002-2012 Indianapolis Colts, 2013-14 San Diego Chargers, 2015 Arizona Cardinals, 2016 Atlanta Falcons, 2017 Seattle Seahawks, 2017 Detroit Lions
  • Antonio Gates, Tight End – 2003-2018 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
  • Rodney Harrison, Safety – 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots
  • Devin Hester, Punt Returner/Kick Returner/Wide Receiver – 2006-2013 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore Ravens
  • Torry Holt, Wide Receiver – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver – 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Tennessee Titans
  • Julius Peppers, Defensive End – 2002-09, 2017-18 Carolina Panthers, 2010-13 Chicago Bears, 2014-16 Green Bay Packers
  • Fred Taylor, Running back – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots
  • Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts
  • Patrick Willis, Linebacker – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers
  • Darren Woodson, Safety – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys

The Selection Committee may elect up to five Modern-Era Players for the Class of 2024; each must receive a minimum positive vote of 80 percent for election. Four others — Seniors category Finalists Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell, along with Coach/Contributor Finalist Buddy Parker — also are candidates for the Class of 2024. Voting on each of those four will be held individually, in conjunction with the meeting to decide which Modern-Era Players are elected.

The Finalists in the Modern-Era Player category were determined by a vote of the Hall’s Selection Committee from a list of 173 nominees named in September that was reduced to 25 Semifinalists on Nov. 28.

One player from each NFL team who should be in the Hall of Fame by now

The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its 25 semifinalists for the Class of 2024. Which got us thinking: Who should already be in?

The Pro Football Hall of Fame recently revealed its list of 25 modern-era semifinalists who will be considered for the Class of 2024, which will be revealed before Super Bowl LVIII in February.

Among them are two first-year eligible candidates that made the semifinalist cut in tight end Antonio Gates and pass rusher Julius Peppers. There are a slew of other notable names who have been finalists in the past, including return specialist Devin Hester, wide receivers Steve Smith Sr. and Torry Holt and linebacker Patrick Willis.

There are also three senior finalists up for induction: Linebacker Randy Gradishar, defensive tackle Steve McMichael and wide receiver Art Powell.

That made us wonder: Who is one player, coach or owner from each NFL team who should be in the Hall of Fame by now? Because, let’s face it, there are multiple deserving parties who continue to wait their turn.

From multi-year semifinalists to those who have been waiting decades to those considered among the greatest ever at their position, our NFL Wire editors revealed their pick for one player, coach or owner who should be in the Hall of Fame by now.

10 former Steelers among HOF nominees

Is 2024 the year former Steelers WR Hines Ward finally makes the Hall of Fame?

The Pro Football Hall of Fame released its list of 173 modern-era nominees for the 2024 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In digging through the expansive list, we were glad to see the Steelers are well-represented with 10 names. Some we’ve seen on here before and others are new. Here’s the full list.

Giants legend Tom Coughlin passed over for Hall of Fame

Retired New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin will not be among the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2024.

Retired New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin will have to wait a little longer to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame announced the one coach/contributor finalist for the Class of 2024, and it is former Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Buddy Parker.

Coughlin, a two-time Super Bowl champion as head coach of the Giants, was the first head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 and quickly led them into contention.

Parker beat out a distinguished group of coaches/contributors, of which only one can go on to the final round to be considered for entry to the Hall.

Besides Coughlin, the group consisted of New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft; Steelers owner Art Rooney II; former Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren; and two-time Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan.

Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Lloyd Wells, and John Wooten were the other candidates under consideration.

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5 reasons Giants legend Carl Banks is deserving of Hall of Fame

Retired New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks is deserving of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and here are five reasons why.

This week is was announced that former New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks was named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Banks was one of eight individuals with ties to the Giants on the list of 31 ‘senior’ players and 29 coach/contributors advancing to the semifinal round for possible induction.

Quarterback Charlie Conerly, running back Ottis Anderson, defensive back Everson Walls and former head coaches Tom Coughlin and Dan Reeves also made the cut.

Here are five reasons why Banks should receive further consideration for Canton.

Tom Coughlin heads list of 8 Giants semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Eight former members of the New York Giants, including head coach Tom Coughlin, are among the semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Four former New York Giants players, one former coach, and former head coach Tom Coughlin have been included on a list of 60 semifinalists who will advance to the next round of consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

Running back Ottis ‘O.J.’ Anderson, quarterback Charlie Conerly, linebacker Carl Banks, and defensive back Everson Walls will be among a group considered to be among 12 Seniors and 12 Coach/Contributors advancing to the final stage.

Late Giants head coach Dan Reeves, a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, is also a semifinalist.

The results will be announced on July 27.

Coughlin coached the Giants for 12 seasons (2004-15) and was a two-time Super Bowl winner(XLII, XLVI). He also was the first head coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995, taking the team to two AFC Championship Games. He had an overall NFL record of 182-157 over 20 seasons.

Anderson split 14 seasons between the St. Louis Cardinals (1979-1986) and Giants (1986-1992). He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and six-time 1,000-yard rusher. He was also named MVP of Super Bowl XXV.

Conerly played all 14 of his NFL seasons (1948-61) with the Giants. He won the NFL title in 1956 and passed for 19,488 yards and 173 touchdowns.

Banks was the third overall selection in the 1984 NFL draft out of Michigan State. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion during his time with the Giants (1984-1992). Banks also played one season in Washington (1993) and two in Cleveland (1994-95).

Walls played most of his NFL career (1981-93) with the Dallas Cowboys, where he was named to three first-team All-Pro teams, four Pro Bowls and led the NFL in interceptions three times while in Dallas. He finished his career with the Giants and Cleveland Browns and helped Big Blue to victory in Super Bowl XXV.

Also on the coach/contributor list is former Giants assistant/defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer and head coach John McVay.

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Does Ottis Anderson deserve Hall of Fame consideration?

Is retired New York Giants RB Ottis Anderson worthy of Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration? The numbers suggest he is.

The New York Giants are well-represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. However, there are a few figures in Giants history that many fans would love to see enshrined — Tiki Barber, Phil Simms, Ernie Accorsi, and Tom Coughlin.

That list also includes running back Ottis “OJ” Anderson.

Anderson essentially had two careers — one with the St. Louis Cardinals and another with the Giants. Cumulatively, they add up to a Hall of Fame career.

Selected eighth overall by the Cardinals out of Miami in the 1979 NFL draft, Anderson earned Offensive Rookie of the Year and All-Pro honors later that season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl the next year as well.

In seven-plus seasons in St. Louis, Anderson rushed for 7,999 yards on 1,858 attempts — both still Cardinals’ franchise records — for a 4.3 average. In 1986, he lost his starting gig to Stump Mitchell and was traded to the Giants in October for 1987 second- and seventh-round selections.

Anderson played six-plus seasons for the Giants, won two Super Bowls, was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1989, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXV.

Ottis is one of only four running backs in NFL history to score rushing touchdowns in two Super Bowls and win a Super Bowl MVP (Hall of Famers Franco Harris, John Riggins, and Emmitt Smith are the others).

Anderson’s 10,273 rushing yards are 30th all-time and his 13,335 yards from scrimmage are 44th in NFL history. He is 19th all-time in rushing touchdowns with 81. When he retired in 1992 Anderson ranked seventh in rushing touchdowns and eighth in rushing yards.

Anderson was inducted into the Giants’ Ring of Honor in 2022 but has yet to be recognized by the Cardinals’ organization.

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Ronde Barber makes case for Tiki Barber to join him in Hall of Fame

Ronde Barber argues that his brother, retired New York Giants RB Tiki Barber, has a resume that warrants the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Is retired New York Giants running back Tiki Barber deserving of the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

That’s a question that’s been hotly debated since Barber’s controversial retirement following the 2006 season. But with the bad feelings finally subsiding, more and more Giants fans are beginning to come around to the idea.

Barber was electric during his time with the Giants and remains the team’s all-time leading rusher. He’s second behind only Brandon Jacobs in rushing touchdowns (55) and is fourth all-time in receiving (5,183).

What some might not know is that Barber is also fourth in franchise history in punt return yardage (1,181). And there are many, many more.

But the Hall of Fame isn’t about the franchise leaderboard. Rather, it’s about the best to ever play the game and how their production compares to the other elite.

Well, Barber is a standout there as well. And shortly after being announced as a pending inductee, Ronde Barber, Tiki’s twin, retweeted some statistics that make a strong case for his brother’s eventual enshrinement.

Barber’s 17,359 all-purpose yards are among the most in NFL history. Only 16 players have more and the vast majority of those are either in the Hall of Fame or will soon be in the Hall of Fame.

But that early retirement will always linger over Barber like a dark cloud. The belief is that one more productive season would have guaranteed his ticket and that Super Bowl title would have been a nice punctuation mark.

Barber will once again be nominated for the Hall of Fame in 2024, but will he finally break through? Time will tell.

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4 ex-Giants among first-year eligible candidates for Hall of Fame in 2024

4 former members of the New York Giants are among a group of first-year eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

Four former New York Giants players are on the list of potentials for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall, linebacker Connor Barwin, running back Jonathan Stewart and cornerback Leon Hall will all be eligible for the first time next year.

Marshall played just five games for the Giants in 2017 after inking a two-year, $12 million deal. He suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 and was released the next spring.

Barwin came to the Giants in 2018 after four-year stints in Houston and Philadelphia and a year with the Rams. He played 15 games for the Giants and retired in 2019.

Stewart was a controversial signing by the Giants in 2018 after 10 seasons in Carolina. He had little left in the tank when he got to New Jersey and ended up playing in three games for Big Blue.

Hall came to the Giants in 2016 after nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in 12 games and was not brought back in 2017.

Of this group, Marshall has the best shot at a place in Canton. He had six seasons where he had 100 or more receptions, tied with Antonio Brown for the most all-time.

Other first-time eligibles who have an actual chance at gaining election are defensive end Julius Peppers, tight end Antonio Gates and cornerback Eric Berry.

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Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis among nine members of 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

The Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomed nine new enshrinees to its ranks. Here is the 2023 Hall of Fame class.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has welcomed the following players, coaches, and contributors to its ranks with the 2023 class:

Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis, DeMarcus Ware, Ken Riley, Joe Klecko, Chuck Howley, Ronde Barber, Don Coryell, and Zach Thomas.

There were 15 modern-era finalists, with Dwight Freeney, Revis and Thomas as the three first-ballot players.

The new enshrinees, in order of announcement on the NFL Honors show, and their official biographies from the Pro Football Hall of Fame: