The Hall of Fame – the place where NFL legends live forever – and that every fan loves to speculate about.
In fact, we see fans throw around the term ‘future Hall of Famer’ all willy-nilly about their favorite stars, but let’s be honest… not every star’s career is actually headed to Canton.
That said, there are players who have already punched their tickets… No debate.
But it may prove more difficult than expected for some of the best players in the game today!
In fact, they might one day have a hard time getting through the gates without buying a ticket!
Let’s take a look around the NFL at some of the big-name stars that we believe are destined to be fitted for a gold jacket and which will be getting left out.
Which five NFL stars are bound to the Hall of Fame, and which ones are going to get snubbed?
Surefire Hall of Famer: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
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Patrick Mahomes isn’t just on his way to the Hall of Fame—the NFL might already have found him a reserved parking spot. What Mahomes did in 2022 and 2023 is the stuff legends are made of.
After becoming the first NFL player this century to win league MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season in 2022, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is already proving his hall-of-fame worth.
In the 2022 season alone, Mahomes achieved as much as only three quarterbacks in NFL history were able to accomplish throughout their entire career. In addition to earning league MVP and Super Bowl MVP, the 27-year-old led all quarterbacks in the 2022 regular season with 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes.
And then he went followed that up by carrying a relatively weak Chiefs to another Lombardi Trophy in 2023. if he can deliver the threepeat this year… forget about it!
With the accolades that he racked up in the form of league MVPs and Super Bowl MVPs—and in the same season—the guy is practically halfway to a bronze bust.
As crazy as it seems this early in the guy’s career, he is simply undeniable.
Won’t Get in: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Carolina Panthers
Jadeveon Clowney will go down as one of the most fascinating ‘what-ifs’ in NFL history. From being the No. 1 overall pick in 2014 to that iconic hit in college, it felt like Clowney was destined for greatness. But the truth is, the production never quite matched the hype.
The 2014 NFL Draft’s first overall pick has had a productive but not hall-of-fame-worthy career, and that is putting it lightly.
Sure, Clowney has had his moments—elite moments, even. But he’s bounced around from team to team, signing one-year deals, cashing checks, and never staying in one place long enough to build a Hall of Fame legacy. And now? He’s in Carolina, looking more like a guy going through the motions than a player adding to his résumé.
It seems almost impossible to think that he’ll accumulate the kind of counting numbers needed to get in!
At his peak, he is no doubt one of the best, but the actual output has been far too inconsistent. NFL Hall of Fame careers aren’t built on potential—they’re built on consistency. And Clowney just doesn’t have it.
Surefire Hall of Famer: Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It is crazy to think and say, but somehow the guy that has never not had a 1000-yard receiver season despite being in the league a decade is still one of the most underrated receivers in the game today… and definitely of his generation.
Despite his insanely consistent production, people always seem to be sleeping on Mike Evans!
But when it’s all said and done, he’ll have a bust in Canton to prove that he was one of the top dogs without question.
As I said, we are talking about a guy who has never had a season with fewer than 1,000 receiving yards, a streak that spans a decade.
He’s not just a stat-sheet warrior, though. Evans has been the heart and soul of the Buccaneers offense for years, leading them to a Super Bowl title with Tom Brady. And in 2023, at age 30, he still managed to lead the league with 13 touchdowns.
The man is a machine and one of the best players the game has seen… Period. He continually elevates his team—and not to mention he is a Super Bowl champion!
Won’t Get in: Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson’s career has taken a weird turn—and it might have cost him a Hall of Fame ticket.
Back in Seattle, he was nearly a two-time Super Bowl winner, though he infamously settled for one, a nine-time Pro Bowler, and had one of the best winning percentages in the league.
But here’s the thing—his individual numbers were never that impressive, and now, with some hindsight, it’s starting to look like he was more of a product of the system than a superstar.
He got a lot of credit early on for making a career for himself after initially being overlooked as a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, headlined by top-two picks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, but it has really fallen apart in the tail end of his career.
That disaster of a second act—and now a slow start in Pittsburgh—has really tarnished his legacy.
Plus, with the way that his name has really been soured in the media in recent year… he may have a hard time generating the votes, as he hasn’t made himself a ton of new friends since leaving Seattle.
He might have actually played himself out of the NFL Hall of Fame the past couple of years.
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Surefire Hall of Famer: Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
As much as people love to hate on running backs these days, the fact of the matter is that Derrick Henry rises above all the negativity—and will no doubt be in the Hall of Fame one day.
In fact, his cleats already are!
After Henry surpassed 10,000 yards rushing in his career and scored his 100th career touchdown in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Henry’s shoes were sent to Canton.
Henry, who signed with the Ravens this offseason after eight years with the Tennessee Titans, has been probably the best running back in the league over the past half-decade.
When you look at the 30-year-old’s counting numbers, it is pretty ridiculous, especially in the context of this pass-heavy era of football.
He has 9,502 rushing yards, 90 rushing touchdowns, four Pro Bowl selections, and an Offensive Player of the Year award in 2020, and that’s just scratching the surface of his accomplishments. Now, he joins an elite rushing team with a chance to boost his legacy even further.
Especially if he and Lamar Jackson can pair to win a Super Bowl in Baltimore!
Henry is also just one of eight players in league history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season—and he has continued to deliver year in and year out!
And if he wasn’t part of a platoon to start his career, the numbers would be even better!
King Henry will definitely be a Hall of Famer one day.
Won’t Get in: Cameron Heyward, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Cameron Heyward is one of those players who’s been really good for a really long time—but ‘really good’ doesn’t always cut it in Canton. With six Pro Bowls and over 80 career sacks, Heyward has built a solid résumé. But the Hall of Fame is about more than just being good—it’s about being dominant.
And unfortunately, that is one side effect of playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a lot of times, even super talented players don’t get a chance to dominate—or the full recognition for it, as they have such a well-known team-focused system.
That said, the talented defensive end still has a chance to build his case.
Heyward is hoping to rebound from an injury-plagued 2023 season but already has a good but not great case for the Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, at his age and with how competitive it is to get in as a defensive end, it is hard to imagine him building the requisite case to make it into Canton one day.
Surefire Hall of Famer: Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets
Let’s face it… Whether you like, love, or hate him—Aaron Rodgers was already a lock for the Hall of Fame before he ever put on a Jets uniform. Four MVPs, 10 Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl ring with the Packers? You don’t need to do much more than that to earn a spot in Canton. Rodgers ranks ninth all-time in passing yards and fifth in passing touchdowns, and by the time he’s done, he’ll be sitting even higher on those lists.
Now, look—people will always hold Rodgers’ single Super Bowl win against him. But let’s not kid ourselves: Rodgers is easily one of the most talented quarterbacks we’ve ever seen. In fact, if it wasn’t for that guy named Tom Brady, Rodgers would probably sit at the top of most ‘best QB’ lists.
Sure, Peyton Manning has five MVPs, but no quarterback in NFL history has combined arm strength, accuracy, and decision-making the way Rodgers has. His career passer rating is one of the highest in history.
Now, if he somehow pulls off a miracle and drags the Jets—the Jets—to a Super Bowl win, as Brady did with the Buccaneers? That’ll be the cherry on top of an already legendary career. But even if that doesn’t happen, Rodgers will walk into the Hall of Fame the minute he’s eligible. No question.
Won’t Get in: Buffalo Bills, LB, Von Miller
Not too long ago, Von Miller felt like a slam dunk Hall of Famer. And there is no denying that he is one of the best pure pass rushers of his generation. Miller was a nightmare off the edge—fast, explosive, and relentless. The man collected sacks like nobody’s business, with 115.5 over his career so far, and logged seven seasons with double-digit sacks. And don’t forget—this isn’t just a stat-padder in meaningless games. Miller always showed up when it mattered most.
Case in point? Super Bowl 50. Miller’s MVP performance is the stuff of legend—2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a strip-sack that set the tone for Denver’s first touchdown. He made life miserable for Cam Newton all night and cemented his status as one of the best big-game performers the NFL has ever seen.
But things haven’t gone well for Miller in Buffalo, and now that he has run into trouble off the field, his future status in Canton is starting to be shrouded in doubt. Unless Miller can string together a few more productive seasons and stay out of trouble, his candidacy might be on shakier ground than anyone expected.
Surefire Hall of Famer: Bobby Wagner, LB, Washington Commanders
While some people still want to cast doubt on Bobby Wagner’s ridiculous NFL career, we will do no such thing—as this man is a surefire Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.
Wagner has been the best linebacker of his generation, plain and simple. Nine Pro Bowls, six first-team All-Pro selections, and over 1,700 tackles in 12 seasons? That’s not just great—that’s Canton-worthy.
He was the heart and soul of the Seahawks’ defense during the ‘Legion of Boom’ era. Sure, people talk about Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Marshawn Lynch, but make no mistake—Wagner was the glue holding that entire operation together. While Seattle’s secondary was making headlines, Wagner was quietly dominating the middle of the field, leading the league in tackles three times.
He isn’t quite in his prime anymore, and yes, he looks strange in a Commanders uni, but his football IQ and leadership are still second to none, and when he chooses to hang ‘em up, he will be in Canton, no doubt!
Won’t Get in: Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley was supposed to be the guy in New York when the Giants took him second overall in 2018 out of Penn State.
I mean… It was crazy… Dave Gettleman famously called the former Nittany Lion ‘touched by the hand of God.’ Barkley was supposed to change everything for the Giants—and for a brief moment during his rookie season, it looked like he might.
Barkley was everywhere, juking defenders out of their cleats and piling up highlight after highlight. But the magic didn’t last. Injuries, inconsistency, and the general dysfunction of the Giants’ organization stalled what could’ve been a Hall of Fame career.
He seems to be finding a groove with the Eagles, yes, but it is extremely unlikely that the injury-prone running back will ever be able to string together the right case to make it into the hallowed halls of Canton.
Now, Barkley is trying to reinvent himself with the Eagles, and sure—he’s shown flashes of the player we thought he’d be. But the problem is simple: the Hall of Fame doesn’t reward ‘flashes.’ It rewards longevity, production, and impact. And unfortunately, Barkley just hasn’t been able to stay healthy long enough to build that kind of résumé.
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