The Pro Football Hall of Fame is once again preparing to welcome its next class of inductees, and the process has officially begun. With 167 modern-era players nominated for the Class of 2025, excitement is already building around who will secure a spot in Canton. This year’s group of nominees includes a mix of celebrated veterans and 16 first-year eligible candidates, making the selection process especially intriguing.
Fans and analysts alike are eager to see which players will make the cut as the debate over their careers and contributions to the game begins to heat up. From record-setting quarterbacks to dominant defensive stars, this year’s class features plenty of talent—and a few controversial choices.
Notable First-Year Candidates for the Hall of Fame
None of the many names on the ballot stirs as much discussion as Eli Manning. While the former New York Giants quarterback boasts two Super Bowl MVPs, his regular-season stats spark controversy. Manning’s 117-117 career record, 366 touchdowns, and 244 interceptions leaves room for debate over whether his postseason heroics outweigh his less-than-stellar overall performance.
Joining Manning on the list of first-time nominees are some big names, especially in the trenches. Offensive linemen Marshal Yanda, Joe Staley, Ryan Kalil, and Travis Frederick are all making their case for a spot in Canton. Running backs Marshawn Lynch and Darren Sproles are also up for consideration, as well as wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker, linebackers Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and defensive backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib, and Earl Thomas round out the star-studded group of first-year nominees. Let’s not forget kicker Adam Vinatieri, who arguably has one of the strongest resumes in this year’s class.
The road to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame won’t be easy. In October, the Screening Committee will cut the list down from 167 to just 50 names. From there, the entire Selection Committee will trim the list further to 25 later in the fall before deciding on 15 finalists. Those final 15 will be debated ahead of Super Bowl LVIX, with three to five players earning their place in football immortality.
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Here’s A Detailed Look At All The Pro Football Hall of Fame Nominees For the Class of 2025, Broken Down By Position:
Quarterbacks
The quarterback group is filled with well-known names who have left their mark on the NFL.
- Marc Bulger
- Randall Cunningham
- Jake Delhomme
- Doug Flutie
- Rich Gannon
- Jeff Garcia
- Donovan McNabb
- Eli Manning
- Steve McNair
- Tony Romo
Running Backs
The running backs in this class include game-changers who were the backbone of their teams.
- Shaun Alexander
- Terry Allen
- Jamal Anderson
- Tiki Barber
- Larry Centers (FB)
- Jamaal Charles
- Stephen Davis
- Corey Dillon
- Warrick Dunn
- Charlie Garner
- Eddie George
- Priest Holmes
- Steven Jackson
- Chris Johnson
- Thomas Jones
- John Kuhn (FB)
- Vonta Leach (FB)
- Dorsey Levens
- Jamal Lewis
- Marshawn Lynch
- Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR)
- Glyn Milburn (also WR)
- Lorenzo Neal (FB)
- Clinton Portis
- Tony Richardson (FB)
- Robert Smith
- Darren Sproles (also PR/KR)
- Fred Taylor
- Chris Warren
- Ricky Watters
- Ricky Williams
Wide Receivers
This year’s wide receivers include some of the most exciting playmakers of the past decades.
- Anquan Boldin
- Donald Driver
- Antonio Freeman
- Irving Fryar
- Torry Holt
- Joe Horn
- Chad Johnson
- Brandon Marshall
- Derrick Mason
- Herman Moore
- Muhsin Muhammad
- Jordy Nelson
- Andre Rison
- Jimmy Smith
- Rod Smith
- Steve Smith Sr.
- Demaryius Thomas
- Hines Ward
- Reggie Wayne
- Wes Welker
- Roddy White
Tight Ends
Some of the best tight ends ever to play the position are represented here.
- Ben Coates
- Vernon Davis
- Antonio Gates
- Jeremy Shockey
- Delanie Walker
- Wesley Walls
Offensive Linemen
This year’s class features some of the most dominant blockers in NFL history.
- Willie Anderson (T)
- Bruce Armstrong (T/G)
- Matt Birk (C)
- Lomas Brown (T)
- Ruben Brown (G)
- Jahri Evans (G)
- Travis Frederick (C)
- Jordan Gross (T)
- Ryan Kalil (C)
- Lincoln Kennedy (T)
- Olin Kreutz (C)
- T.J. Lang (G/T)
- Nick Mangold (C)
- Logan Mankins (G)
- Tom Nalen (C)
- Jeff Saturday (C)
- Mark Schlereth (G/C)
- Josh Sitton (G)
- Chris Snee (G)
- Joe Staley (T)
- Dave Szott (G)
- Brian Waters (G)
- Richmond Webb (T)
- Erik Williams (T)
- Steve Wisniewski (G)
- Marshal Yanda (G)
Defensive Linemen
These linemen were masters of disrupting opposing offenses.
- John Abraham (DE, also LB)
- Jared Allen (DE)
- La’Roi Glover (DT/NT)
- Casey Hampton (DT/NT)
- Robert Mathis (DE)
- Chester McGlockton (DT)
- Haloti Ngata (DT)
- Simeon Rice (DE)
- Clyde Simmons (DE/DT)
- Justin Smith (DE)
- Neil Smith (DE)
- Henry Thomas (DT/NT)
- Justin Tuck (DE)
- Ted Washington (NT/DT)
- Vince Wilfork (DT/NT)
- Jamal Williams (DT/NT)
- Kevin Williams (DT)
- Pat Williams (DT)
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Linebackers
Linebackers in this class brought relentless energy and leadership to their defenses.
- Jessie Armstead
- Brendon Ayanbadejo
- Cornelius Bennett
- Lance Briggs
- Keith Brooking
- NaVorro Bowman
- Tedy Bruschi
- Donnie Edwards
- James Farrior
- London Fletcher
- James Harrison
- Luke Kuechly
- Willie McGinest (also DE)
- Ken Norton Jr.
- Julian Peterson
- Bill Romanowski
- Takeo Spikes
- Terrell Suggs
- Mike Vrabel
- Lee Woodall
Defensive Backs
This year’s defensive backs are some of the top ball hawks and tacklers in NFL history.
- Eric Allen (CB)
- Eric Berry (DB)
- Antoine Bethea (S)
- Dré Bly (DB)
- Kam Chancellor (S)
- Nick Collins (DB)
- Antonio Cromartie (CB)
- DeAngelo Hall (DB)
- Rodney Harrison (S)
- Eugene Robinson (DB)
- Samari Rolle (DB)
- Allen Rossum (DB)
- Bob Sanders (S)
- Aqib Talib (CB)
- Earl Thomas (S)
- Charles Tillman (CB)
- Troy Vincent (CB)
- Darren Woodson (S)
Punters and Kickers
Special teams are well-represented, with legendary kickers and punters who shaped games.
- David Akers (K)
- Gary Anderson (K)
- Darren Bennett (P)
- Jason Elam (K)
- Jeff Feagles (P)
- Jason Hanson (K)
- John Kasay (K)
- Sean Landeta (P)
- Shane Lechler (P)
- Pat McAfee (P)
- Brian Moorman (P)
- Matt Stover (K)
- Matt Turk (P)
- Mike Vanderjagt (K)
- Adam Vinatieri (K)
Special Teams Specialists
Some of the best return men in the game, these players were dangerous every time they touched the ball.
- Josh Cribbs (KR/PR, also WR)
- Brian Mitchell (KR/PR, also RB)
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