Tag: Pro Football Hall of Fame

Panthers legends among final 50 modern-era candidates for 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Two Panthers legends are closer to Canton.

Two Carolina Panthers greats are a little bit closer to Canton.

On Wednesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Modern-Era Screening Committee trimmed the list of 167 nominees for its 2025 class to just 50. Among the 50 nominees who have advanced to the next stage of consideration include former wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. and former linebacker Luke Kuechly.

Smith Sr. has been named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for each of the past three years. On top of being the franchise’s all-time leading pass catcher, Smith Sr. also ranks eighth on the NFL’s all-time receiving list (14,731).

Kuechly, who retired at the age of 28, is in his very first year of eligibility. He was named the 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and the 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and earned five First-team All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl selections.

The full selection committee will now reduce the number of nominees to 25 in about four weeks.

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L.C. Greenwood latest ‘Steelers backlash’ victim among Hall of Fame voters

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood has again been denied entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After a second reduction vote, 31 senior-category candidates remain in consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025 — and, somehow, Pittsburgh Steelers legend L.C. Greenwood is not among them.

The Hall of Fame released the list of remaining candidates on Tuesday.

All of Greenwood’s 13 seasons were spent in Pittsburgh, where he was the starting defensive end on four Super Bowl-winning rosters.

Greenwood was named to the Pro Bowl six times and an All-Pro twice. He logged 78 career sacks, good enough for second in franchise history, although sacks were not a tracked stat in Greenwood’s era.

Gerry Dulac, Steelers insider for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, lobbied for Greenwood as he has on several occasions. He suggests that Greenwood being consistently overlooked is an issue of bias.

“Greenwood is likely the victim of what can only be described as a ‘Steelers bias’ or ‘Steelers backlash’ among Hall of Fame voters,” Dulac wrote. “With so many Steelers from the great Super Bowl teams flooding annually into Canton, Ohio, it is not unreasonable to think some voters thought it was about time to turn off the spigot.”

It’s a shame that Greenwood even needs the senior committee to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. He earned and should’ve been gold-jacketed long before.

Greenwood died at age 67 from kidney failure on Sept. 29, 2013.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2025 will be announced at February’s “NFL Honors” in New Orleans, La., and enshrined next August in Canton.

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Dan Quinn on the importance of Washington legends

Dan Quinn recognizes the importance of connecting franchise legends to the current team.

It was a special day at Northwest Stadium on Sunday as the Washington Commanders retired legendary cornerback Darrell Green’s No. 28 jersey. While Green was being honored, Washington’s ownership also honored many other Washington players of the past.

The Commanders hosted numerous former players for the weekend. While the franchise did alumni events in the past, it’s much different these days under new ownership. Players are happy to be back, including Green, who remained away from the franchise after he retired. Others, such as Green’s fellow Hall of Famer, Art Monk, are back in the fold.

The Commanders didn’t disappoint on the field either. Washington defeated the Carolina Panthers 40-7 on Sunday, and this was after losing rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to a rib injury in the first quarter.

After the game, head coach Dan Quinn was asked about the team using the franchise’s historical past to show the current squad where they can end up.

“Yeah, I think it’s very important,” Quinn said. “I think to go where you want to go, it’s important to understand the history of the franchise. And although a lot of the players didn’t know Darrell or any of his speed, and they saw the one of him chasing down as a rookie, Tony Dorsett, and it was overwhelming, the speed. And so, just showing some of those plays, when I showed that to get where you want to go, it’s important to understand where you’ve been and what is possible in a career. And, so not everybody’s going to have a Darrell Green career, but it is possible to show the remarkable things that can be done both on and off the field.”

Quinn’s right. Past Washington regimes alienated some of the most successful players in franchise history. Mostly, it was former owner Dan Snyder who alienated those players. However, under new ownership, Josh Harris and his partners like Mitchell Rales and Mark Ein — who all grew up as fans — reconnecting the franchise’s past to the future wasn’t only something they wanted to do but also needed to do.

Darrell Green has message for Commanders’ fans

Darrell Green has a message for Washington fans.

This was a special weekend for Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green. The former Washington Redskins cornerback received a key to the city of Washington, D.C., on Saturday and had his No. 28 jersey retired by his old team Sunday.

Green, who played 20 years for the burgundy and gold, has largely stayed away from the franchise since his retirement. However, when Daniel Snyder sold the team last summer, Green was back. One of the first things new ownership did was invite Green back and treat him accordingly.

Green has shared his enthusiasm for new ownership.

On Sunday, Green spoke to Washington fans, and he had a special message for them: I’m sorry you didn’t experience the glory days, but come back because this franchise is back.

Here’s Green:

Washington last won a Super Bowl in the 1991 season. That was 33 years ago. Green was in his ninth NFL season during that run and would play 11 more before retiring after the 2002 season.

Green believes the best is yet to come for the Commanders. He’s along for the ride and wants you to be, too.

Broncos have 21 candidates for 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

The Broncos have 19 modern-era players and two coach candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Last week, Mike Shanahan and late former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves were named coach candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The Broncos also have 19 modern-era candidates for the Hall of Fame. Denver had 11 senior candidates as well, but none of them advanced in the selection process.

With the modern-era candidates still to be trimmed down, the Broncos currently have 21 candidates for next year’s Hall of Fame class.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan
  2. Coach Dan Reeves
  3. WR Rod Smith
  4. C Tom Nalen
  5. K Jason Elam
  6. G Mark Schlereth
  7. LB Bill Romanowski
  8. DL Neil Smith
  9. WR Demaryius Thomas
  10. CB Aqib Talib
  11. WR Wes Welker
  12. RB Clinton Portis
  13. WR Brandon Marshall
  14. RB Glyn Milburn
  15. CB Dré Bly
  16. TE Vernon Davis
  17. DL Jamal Williams
  18. LB Keith Brooking
  19. RB Jamaal Charles
  20. DL Ted Washington
  21. DL Simeon Rice

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of modern-era nominees this month and announce semifinalists and finalists later in the fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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Legendary John Riggins has solution for Commanders’ secondary issues

Riggo has a solution for Washington’s secondary woes.

The Washington Commanders are 4-2 and in first place in the NFC East heading into Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

Washington’s offense is one of the best in the NFL, looking unstoppable at times. However, the same can’t be said for the defense. After faring well in the previous two weeks, the defense struggled badly at Baltimore in a Week 6 loss.

The Commanders’ failure to adequately stop the run is puzzling at times. However, Washington’s struggles to stop opposing passing games aren’t surprising. There were question marks at cornerback entering the season, and those questions remain after six games.

Second-year cornerback Emmanuel Forbes remains a mystery. He’s struggled and can’t even get on the field. Benjamin St-Juste shows flashes but still allows far too many big plays. Free-agent addition Noah Igbinoghene has been a pleasant surprise, while rookie Mike Sainristil looks like a future star. In today’s NFL, that’s not enough.

In the latest addition of “The John Riggins Show,” the Hall of Fame running back had a suggestion for the Commanders if their pass defense struggles on Sunday.

“One possible way out of this, and he’ll already be there, at halftime if they’re struggling mightily is throw a uniform on No. 28,” Riggins said referring to Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green. The Commanders are retiring Green’s No. 28 this weekend.

That’s not a bad idea.

Seeing Riggins discuss his former team and Green’s return to the franchise is more proof that everything surrounding the Commanders has completely changed since Josh Harris and his group purchased the team in July 2022.

Former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher takes step toward Hall of Fame

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher is among the 12 people to take the next step toward election in the Coach Category of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On the same day that former Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was announced as one of the 25 candidates in the Contributor category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, another former Titan was greeted with similar news. 

Former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher is one of the 12 men taking the next step toward election in the Coach category of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the class of 2025. 

The Hall of Fames’ Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee narrowed its list to Fisher, Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Alex Gibbs, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy.

Fisher served as a head coach in the NFL for 22 seasons, split between the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans, and St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams. 

Fisher led the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance during the 1999 season, coming up one yard short of the championship. In all, his Titans’ teams made the playoffs four consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2003. 

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Hall of Fame QB says Commanders are the team he’d buy stock in for years to come

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been that high on a young quarterback,” HOF QB says of Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.

Troy Aikman was in the booth for the Washington Commanders’ Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. The former Dallas Cowboy and Pro Football Hall of Fame member didn’t expect to be talking about Jayden Daniels more than Bengals QB Joe Burrow on that night.

Make no mistake, Burrow was and is phenomenal, but on that night, it was Daniels who was the talk of the NFL world. The rookie completed 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown.

Aikman, who gets to meet with each team in preparation for the game, spent some time with Daniels and the Commanders. He came away impressed with Daniels before the game even took place.

In a recent episode of “Pardon My Take,” Aikman was asked which team he would buy stock in for the next 3-5 years.

“Washington,” Aikman answered. “I wouldn’t have said that prior to this year. I probably wouldn’t have said it we hadn’t have already had Washington this season. I can’t tell you how high I am on this quarterback. It’s been a long time since I’ve been that high on a young quarterback. I watched him, so he played two games, I guess we had him Week 3, and I liked what I had seen. There’s are a lot of quarterbacks that have talent. Virtually every quarterback in the NFL has some ability; that’s why they’re in the NFL, especially if you’ve been a first-round pick. But what separates them? The organization, the coaching, the players around them, all that. But what can the player control? Does he have the intangibles? Does he want to be great? Is he smart? Does he put in the time? Is he a good teammate? All of that. So, when we did our production meeting with Jayden, I immediately…that’s what sealed it for me. Before we even called the game. Before we even had the game against Cincinnati. When we got done talking to him, I said, ‘Wow, this guy is the real deal.'”

That’s huge coming from Aikman. Being the lead broadcaster for Fox Sports for years and now at ESPN, he’s met with all of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. And for him to come away that impressed with Daniels is another sign telling you the Commanders will be in good hands for a long time. They finally got their guy.

Mike Shanahan, Dan Reeves among coach candidates for Hall of Fame

Mike Shanahan and late former Broncos coach Dan Reeves are among 12 coach candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Mike Shanahan and late former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves are among 12 coach candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, the Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

Shanahan and Reeves are joined by Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Jeff Fisher, Alex Gibbs, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Richie Petitbon, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Clark Shaughnessy.

The selection committee will narrow the list of 12 candidates down to one finalist in the coming weeks.

Reeves, who died at age 77 in 2022, reached nine Super Bowls as a player and coach, representing the third-most in NFL history only behind Bill Belichick (12) and Tom Brady (10).

Shanahan, 72, won a Super Bowl as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers and later won back-to-back Super Bowls as a head coach with the Broncos.

Denver had 11 senior candidates named earlier this year who did not advance in the voting. The Broncos still have 19 modern-era candidates for the 2025 class, with Shanahan and Reeves now added to the pool of candidates.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan
  2. Coach Dan Reeves
  3. WR Rod Smith
  4. C Tom Nalen
  5. K Jason Elam
  6. G Mark Schlereth
  7. LB Bill Romanowski
  8. DL Neil Smith
  9. WR Demaryius Thomas
  10. CB Aqib Talib
  11. WR Wes Welker
  12. RB Clinton Portis
  13. WR Brandon Marshall
  14. RB Glyn Milburn
  15. CB Dré Bly
  16. TE Vernon Davis
  17. DL Jamal Williams
  18. LB Keith Brooking
  19. RB Jamaal Charles
  20. DL Ted Washington
  21. DL Simeon Rice

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of modern-era nominees this month and announce semifinalists and finalists later in the fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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Former Titans owner Bud Adams takes step toward Hall of Fame

Former Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams is among the 25 people to take the next step toward election in the Contributor Category of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Titans owner K.S. ‘Bud’ Adams is one step closer to being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is among 25 candidates who have taken the next step toward potentially becoming a member of the Contributor Category of the Class of 2025.

https://twitter.com/jwyattsports/status/1846913381137080389

Adams joins Roone Arledge, Chris Berman, Howard Cosell, Otho Davis, John Facenda, Mike Giddings, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Don Klosterman, Eddie Kotic, 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 and John Wooten on that list. 

Adams’ influence on the game is undeniable. Joining former Kansas City owner Lamar Hunt, they founded the original American Football League in 1960 and survived until the merger with the NFL in 1970. In recognition of this achievement, he received the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football in 2008, for his role in helping the NFL reach the pinnacle of professional sports. 

Adams, who passed away in 2013, was the founder and owner of the Oilers/Titans from 1960-2012. During his time at the helm of the franchise, he oversaw the transition from Houston to Nashville and cultivated a tremendous fan base. He was also a pivotal figure among the NFL owners, leading the way on many initiatives that helped the game become what it is today. 

The next step in the journey will be when the committee trims the list from 25 to nine semifinalists in two weeks. 

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