Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, along with standout tight end Antonio Gates, are among the players who have moved on to the next round in voting for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The Hall announced on Wednesday the 50 modern era candidates who made it through from the original list of 167 after voting by a new screening committee. This list includes eight players who are eligible for the first time and 10 players who were finalists last year but didn’t receive enough votes.
In about four weeks, the full selection committee will cut the list of nominees down to 25 semifinalists. After that, 15 finalists will be chosen for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl, where the new class will be announced.
Players need to get 80% of the votes to be inducted, with three to five players entering as modern era candidates. There will also be votes for three senior candidates, one contributor, and one coach, with one to three individuals from that group getting into the Hall.
Leading the first-year candidates are Manning, Kuechly, Suggs, and postseason kicking star Adam Vinatieri. Other notable first-year candidates include running back Marshawn Lynch and safety Earl Thomas, who were key players on Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning team in the 2013 season; two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda; and longtime San Francisco left tackle Joe Staley.
Gates and defensive lineman Jared Allen are the main returning finalists from last year, along with 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.
Manning aims to join his brother Peyton in the Hall after a successful career with the New York Giants. Manning was the first overall pick in the 2004 draft and played 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 touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the last minute.
He led another late touchdown drive to defeat Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 quarterbacks to win multiple Super Bowls, and eight of the nine eligible for the Hall of Fame have been inducted.
Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted, along with more recent players like Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and Patrick Mahomes, who are not yet eligible. Plunkett has moved forward in voting for the senior candidates.
Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made the All-Pro team or led the league in any major stat in a season. He finished his career with 57,023 passing yards and 366 touchdowns.
His best moments came during those two playoff runs. Manning joined Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two), and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only players to win Super Bowl MVP awards multiple times.
Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their time, with Kuechly named the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.
Kuechly’s career was short but very impactful. He was a first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 and was an All-Pro five times during his eight-year career, earning seven Pro Bowl selections and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
During his eight years, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL with 1,090 tackles, 26 takeaways, 18 interceptions, and 66 passes defensed.
Suggs was one of the best pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth since the statistic became official in 1982.
Suggs had seven seasons with double-digit sacks during his 16 years with Baltimore, including 14 sacks in 2011, when he was named 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 ended his career in Kansas City, where he contributed to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win in the 2019 season.
Vinatieri was one of the most reliable kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl victories during New England’s dynasty.
He made 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 then kicked the game-winner in overtime to win that game and hit a 48-yarder on the last play of a 20-17 Super Bowl win against the Rams.
Two years later, he made a 41-yarder to give the Patriots a 32-29 victory in the Super Bowl against Carolina. Vinatieri also won Super Bowls in 2004 with New England and in the 2006 season with Indianapolis.
He 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 holds the record for the most field goals (56) and points (238) in the postseason.
Gates was a three-time All-Pro who finished his career with 955 catches for 11,841 yards and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown receptions.
Allen was a four-time All-Pro who ended his career with 136 sacks, including a league-leading 22 sacks in 2011 for Minnesota.
