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The selection committee will reduce the list to 50 in the next stage of the process
Sixteen players in their first year of eligibility are among the list of 167 modern-era players nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 presented by Visual Edge IT.
Four offensive linemen, the most of any position group, are among the first-year eligible players: Travis Frederick, Ryan Kalil, Joe Staley and Marshal Yanda. Other players making the list for the first time are: quarterback Eli Manning; running backs Marshawn Lynch and Darren Sproles; receiver Demaryius Thomas; tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker; linebackers Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs; defensive backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib and Earl Thomas; and kicker Adam Vinatieri.
The list of nominees includes 94 offensive players, 56 defensive players and 17 special teams players.
In the next stage of the selection process, a selection committee will narrow the list to 50 candidates (plus ties, if any, for 50th place). The results of this narrowing will be announced in mid-October.
The Hall of Fame’s 50-person selection committee will then narrow the list to 25 semifinalists later this fall. Another vote will create the list of 15 finalists that will be discussed at the annual meeting before Super Bowl LVIX and produce the new class, which can be comprised of three, four or five modern-era players depending on Hall of Fame bylaws.
Modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025
*Finalist for the Class of 2024. Underlining indicates first year of eligibility. (Players must have last played at least five full seasons ago to be eligible for nomination. Therefore, anyone who last played in 2019 is eligible for the first time in 2025.)
QUARTERBACK (10): Marc Bulger, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Doug Flutie, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Steve McNair, Tony Romo.
HALF-RUNNING RUNNERS (31): 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, 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 (21): Torry Holt*, Joe Horn, Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, André Rison, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Thomas Demaryius, Hines Neighborhood, Reggie Wayne*, Wes Welker, Roddy White.
TIGHT WING (6): Ben Coates, Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates*, Jeremy Shockey, Delanie Walker, Wesley’s Walls.
OFFENSIVE LINE PLAYERS (26): Willie Anderson* (T), Bruce Armstrong (T/G), Matt Birk (C), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Jahri Evans* (L), Travis Frederick (C), Jordan Gross (T), Ryan Kalil (center), Lincoln Kennedy (left), Olin Kreutz (center), TJ Lang (right), Nick Mangold (center), Logan Mankins (center), Tom Nalen (center), Jeff Saturday (center), Mark Schlereth (center), Josh Sitton (center), Chris Snee (center), Joe Staley (T), Dave Szott (L), Brian Waters (L), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (L), Marshal Yanda (G).
DEFENSIVE LINE PLAYERS (18): 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), 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).
LINEBACKERS (20): Jessie Armstead, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Cornelius Bennett, Lance Briggs, Keith Brooking, NaVorro Bowman, Tedy Bruschi, Donnie Edwards, James Farrior, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Luc Kuechly, Willie McGinest (also DE), Ken Norton Jr., Julian Peterson, Bill Romanowski, Takeo Spikes, Terrell suggests, Mike Vrabel, Lee Woodall.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (18): 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/KICKERS (15): 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 (2): Josh Cribbs (KR/PR also WR), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB).
Twenty finalists will be presented to the 50-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee at its annual meeting to select the Class of 2025. Those candidates will consist of 15 modern-era player finalists, three senior finalists, one coach finalist and one contributor finalist.
The selection committee will meet next year (at a date yet to be determined) before Super Bowl LVIX. While there is no set number for a class of members, the rules of the selection process provide that between four and eight new members will be selected.
Finalists must receive at least 80 percent support from the selection committee to join the Class of 2025. The number of modern-era finalists will be narrowed at the annual selection meeting from 15 to 10, then to seven. Committee members will then vote on five of the seven finalists.
This year, the reduction votes and the selection meeting votes will be processed through an online voting platform developed specifically for the Pro Football Hall of Fame by Ernst & Young LLP. EY has overseen the election process since the Centennial Class of 2020.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 presented by Visual Edge IT will be inducted this August in Canton.
