The NFL is a unique landscape where great talent puts it all on the line in every game. These current great and talented athletes will be remembered for what they’ve accomplished so far in their young careers and when it’s over, they’ll be enshrined in the hall of fame forever. However, despite the many good NFL players, not every talented playmaker will find themselves enshrined in Canton. Like they say, “it ain’t over ‘til…” Things have a way of turning around season by season, and a lackluster NFL player may find his stride and become that rare supernova, heading straight for Canton.
Here are five current NFL players who definitely will be Hall of Famers and Five NFL players who have no shot so far:
NFL Players that WILL and WON’T be Hall Of Famers:
Will Be: Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes was destined for greatness, as soon as he became the starter for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has, so far, led the team to multiple playoff wins, three Super Bowl victories, and has won two NFL MVP awards. Mahomes has also been an excellent leader on the field with anyone he’s played with. Mahomes isn’t going to slow down anytime soon. He and the Chiefs look to a three-peat as Super Bowl Champions… possibly.
Won’t Be: Cooper Kupp
As talented as Kupp is, as he helped the Rams win Super Bowl 56 23-20 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and win Super Bowl 56 MVP, Kupp has only had two seasons where he had over 1,000 receiving yards. Kupp, so far, made one Pro Bowl in his career. Kupp has also dealt with nagging injuries during his time in the league but has been very reliable and very resilient as a wide receiver among NFL players. If Kupp makes a few more Pro Bowl appearances, he could potentially make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Will Be: Travis Kelce
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When the Chiefs drafted Kelce, in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, they acquired one of the best tight ends in league history. Kelce is a nine-time Pro Bowler, a three-time Super Bowl Champion, had seven 1,000 receiving yard seasons, and led the league in touchdowns among tight ends for three straight years (2020 to 2022). Kelce isn’t slowing down anytime soon, as he and the Chiefs look to get back to the Super Bowl, and possibly a three-peat, which will add to an already hall of fame career.
Won’t Be: D’Andre Swift
Despite an amazing 2023 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Swift has only had one, 1,000 rushing-yard season, under his belt. During his first three seasons with the Detroit Lions, Swift didn’t even reach the 700-yard mark. All of that changed during his lone season with the Eagles. Credit can be shared with the Eagles’ very strong offensive line, which helped the NFL player up his run game, as well as earn him a Pro Bowl nod. Now Swift joins a rebuilding Chicago Bears team, whose offensive line ranked 19th according to Pro Football Focus in 2023. We’ll just wait and see what Swift and the Bears accomplish in 2024.
Also read: 10 NFL Players That Would Definitely Be Hall Of Famers If It Weren’t For One Mistake
Will Be: Myles Garrett
Ever since the Browns drafted Garrett in 2017, he’s been everything they’ve wanted in a first-round pick. Despite the Browns losing ways at first, Garrett is a five-time Pro Bowler, a 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, and a defensive end who helped the Browns reach the playoffs twice in the 2020s. That’s very impressive! He also had 60 tackles and 16 sacks in his 2022 season, is a true leader of the Browns’ defense, and doesn’t look like he’ll slow down anytime soon, as the Browns look to potentially return to the playoffs in the 2024 season.
Won’t Be: Baker Mayfield
Despite an amazing 2023 season, especially among NFL players, for Mayfield, where he helped the Buccaneers reach the playoffs, win in the Wildcard round, and earn his first Pro Bowl nod, he’s had some so-and-so seasons during his time in the NFL. Most notably his 2019 and 2021 seasons in Cleveland were pretty rough. In 2019, Mayfield threw 22 touchdowns against 21 interceptions and in 2021, Mayfield threw 17 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. The Browns gave up on Mayfield in 2022, by trading him to the Carolina Panthers, where he couldn’t get anything accomplished with that team, and requested his release. Mayfield played much better with the Los Angeles Rams, who claimed Mayfield off waivers to finish the 2022 season, on a positive note. Mayfield signed a massive three-year deal with the Buccaneers for the 2024 season and we hope to see Mayfield and the Bucs succeed in the 2024 regular season. But the hall of fame is still a long shot.
Will Be: Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs’ career in the NFL started very slow, as he was a fifth-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings. However, Diggs truly made a burst on the scene, in the 2017 season, in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, where he caught the game-winning touchdown to defeat the New Orleans Saints 29-24, in the Minneapolis Miracle. It wasn’t until 2018 when Diggs produced his first 1,000-yard season, he started becoming a star. Diggs has had six seasons where he had 1,000-plus receiving yards. Diggs made his first Pro Bowl in 2020 during his first season with the Buffalo Bills and has made three other Pro Bowls with the Bills. Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans in the 2024 offseason. We’ll see if Diggs continues to rack up more Pro Bowls in Houston, with his new teammate, C. J. Stroud.
Won’t Be: Tua Tagovailoa
Even though Tua Tagovailoa had a great 2023 season, and made his first Pro Bowl, he’s had a very slow start to his NFL career. Tagovailoa has dealt with injuries in the past, as we saw in the 2022 season. However, Tagovailoa has emerged stronger from the injuries and improved his performance in 2023 thanks to the help of head coach Mike McDaniels. If Tagovailoa continues improving, makes more Pro Bowls, and helps the Dolphins advance past the Wildcard round, he may have a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame which is the ultimate reward for NFL players.
Also read: 5 Most Overrated NFL Hall Of Famers….And 5 Underrated That Need To Get More Love
Will Be: Sauce Gardner
Ever since Sauce Gardner stepped onto an NFL field, he’s been “lights out”, as one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Gardner has made two Pro Bowls, so far in his young career and continues to improve. Gardner led the league in pass deflections in 2022 with 20 pass deflections and had two interceptions. Gardner has also helped lift the New York Jets’ defense during his tenure in the league so far. Gardner earned an 88.6 from Pro Football Focus in the 2023 season. Gardner will continue improving and potentially help the Jets try to return to the playoffs, for the first time since the 2010 season, depending on how the rest of the team performs, in the 2024 season.
Won’t Be: Lavonte David
As good as Lavonte David has been for the Bucs, he’s only made one Pro Bowl in his career in the league. Yes, David helped the Bucs capture Super Bowl 55 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he has 33.5 sacks, as of April 2024. However, he never led the league in sacks, tackles, pass deflections, or interceptions. David’s predecessor, Derrick Brooks, led the NFL players in tackles, with 158 in 1998 and defensive touchdowns in 2002. Despite that, David is still a very talented linebacker and will be enshrined in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor once he hangs up his cleats. If David does earn a couple more Pro Bowl nods, he may have a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
Also read: 5 NFL Wide Receivers That Will Be In The Hall of Fame…And 5 That Most Likely Won’t
