The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its members of the class of 2025 at the NFL Honors award show in New Orleans on Thursday night.
Four players were selected to be enshrined eternally in Canton, Ohio this August. Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, Eric Allen and Sterling Sharpe each earned at least 80 percent of the vote, per the selection process requirements.
It’s an unusually small class considering the selection committee can elect up to five players total from the modern-era category.
Most notably, two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Eli Manning was not among those elected. The longtime former New York Giant’s candidacy as one of the 15 eligible finalists was contentious among fans and pundits alike.
Manning’s legacy is crowned with two massive victories in the Super Bowl over Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the dynastic New England Patriots. But his career numbers created discourse and hesitancy over his ability to earn enshrinement on the first ballot.
However, four Pro Bowl selections and two Super Bowl MVPs have to mean something. Dan Marino accomplished less and was elected on his first try.
Also snubbed from this year’s class are illustrious names such as Reggie Wayne, Terrell Suggs, Darren Woodson, Adam Vinatieri and Steve Smith Sr — who have a 10 combined Super Bowl rings.
That’s a lot of incredible accolades that went completely ignored this year.
With even more deserving players like Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald and Frank Gore becoming eligible in 2026, it’s going to become even harder to find space on the next ballot for those guys.
That’s not to say any of the four inductees were undeserving — far from it. But at least one more of those finalists deserved to be standing on that stage Thursday night.
