Eli Manning leads group of 1st-time eligible nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame

 

[September 19, 2024]  By JOSH DUBOW

Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and postseason kicking hero Adam Vinatieri are among the players nominated for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class in their first year of eligibility.

The Hall announced 167 modern era candidates for the class on Wednesday that included 16 players who became eligible this year, including two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda.

A screening committee will reduce the list of nominees to 50 players next month. Then the full 50-person selection committee will cut the list down to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in with between three and five players getting in as modern era candidates.

There will also be three senior candidates, grouped with one coach and contributor with at least one and no more than three of those finalists getting in based on voting.

The other first-year candidates are offensive linemen Travis Frederick, Ryan Kalil and Joe Staley; running backs Darren Sproles and Marshawn Lynch; receiver Demaryius Thomas; tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker; and defensive backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib and Earl Thomas.

There are also 10 players back under consideration who were finalists a year ago with tight end Antonio Gates, receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; defensive lineman Jared Allen; and running back Fred Taylor back on the list.

Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall following a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was picked first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset win 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.

He led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 QBs to win multiple Super Bowls with eight of the nine who are eligible for the Hall getting inducted.

Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted along with more recent players such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who aren't eligible.

Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season but finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 TDs.

His best moments were in 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 Super Bowl MVP awards.

Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their era with Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.

 New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning celebrates his touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard in the last minute of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Kuechly's career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times in his eight-year career with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).

Suggs was one of the top pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth best since they became an official stat in 1982.

Suggs had seven double-digit sack seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011 when he was selected as the top defensive player in the league and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.

He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in Kansas City where he helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.

Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New England's dynasty.

He helped launch the run with one of the game's greatest kicks — a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He 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 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.

He then made a 41-yarder two years later to give the Patriots a 32-29 win in the Super Bowl against Carolina. Vinatieri also won Super Bowls in 2004 with New England and in the 2006 season with Indianapolis.

Vinatieri is the NFL's all-time leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.

Yanda was a member of the 2010s all-decade team as a key of Baltimore's success. He also was selected second-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his final seasons, missing in 2017 when he played only two games of an injury.

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