Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and productive tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The Hall announced on Saturday the names of the 15 modern finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final voting stage. The group includes five players in their first year of eligibility, nine who were finalists last year and receiver Steve Smith Sr., who made it this far for the first time in his fourth year of eligibility.
The selection committee will vote next month to choose the class of three to five modern players to be announced the week of the Super Bowl.
Five others are also being considered for enshrinement, with finalists Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe and Jim Tyrer in the seniors category, Mike Holmgren in the coaches category and Ralph Hay as a contributor. Between one and three of those nominees will also be included in the Hall.
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Manning, Kuechly and Suggs are finalists in their first year of eligibility, along with postseason star Adam Vinatieri and former Baltimore guard Marshal Yanda.
Gates was a first-time finalist for the class of 2024 and is back at this stage, along with defensive end Jared Allen; receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; and running back Fred Taylor also advanced.
Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall after a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was selected first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset victory over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.
Four years later, he led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots. Manning is one of thirteen QBs to win multiple Super Bowls, with eight of the nine eligible to be inducted into the Hall.
Only Jim Plunkett has not yet been included, along with more recent players like Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who are not yet eligible.
Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler, but never became All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season. He finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 touchdowns.
His best moments came during those two postseason runs. Manning joined Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of the Super Bowl MVP awards.
Kuechly and Suggs were among the best defensive players of their era, with Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.
Kuechly’s career was short but impressive. Carolina’s first-round pick in 2012 was a five-time All-Pro, with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
During his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defended (66).
Suggs was one of the best pass rushers in the league during his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth-best since they became an official statistic in 1982.
Suggs had seven double-digit scoring seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011, when he was selected as the league’s top defensive player and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.
Gates only played basketball in college before becoming one of the NFL’s best players after being drafted by the Chargers. He didn’t become an All-Pro until his sophomore season in 2004. He was an All-Pro again the next two seasons and went on to have a 16-year career with the team.
Gates finished with 955 catches for 11,841 yards and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown receptions.
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Vinatieri was one of the most compelling kickers in NFL history, kicking game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New England’s dynasty.
He helped spark the run with one of the game’s biggest kicks: a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. made the game-winning kick in OT to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 Super Bowl victory against the Rams.
Vinatieri is the NFL’s career leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) during a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.