Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen, and Sterling Sharpe are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in New Orleans

Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen, and Sterling Sharpe were voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, making this the smallest induction class in 20 years, following new offseason rules that made getting inducted harder.

Sharpe was selected as a seniors candidate and will be inducted alongside his younger brother, Shannon, making them the first siblings to be inducted into the Hall. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning did not make it this year and will not join his older brother Peyton in Canton, Ohio.

Shannon was the one to deliver the news to Sterling, and the two brothers will be together in the Hall after the induction ceremony on August 2.

“I don’t think that has really set in yet,” Sterling Sharpe said. “It’s one of those situations where the closer it gets to having the same color jacket he has and standing in the same place he stood and being able to have a conversation about the journey to get there, I think it will set in. But right now it hasn’t hit home yet.”

This small class is different from previous years when at least seven people were inducted, but it has happened before. In the 2005 class, there were only four inductees, and there have been 18 other years with three or four inductees since 1963, when the first class of 17 was enshrined.

“You almost appreciate it more,” Jared Allen said. “Nothing comes easy. When I found out it was only four, it became more special. There’s a true emphasis on what it means to be a Hall of Famer. Clearly, we fit that. For me, it was kind of a sigh of relief.”

New rules were put in place this year after Hall of Famers pushed to make the Hall more exclusive. This led to the smaller class. The modern-era candidates were voted from 15 down to seven in the final stage, instead of five as in past years.

The 49 voters then chose five from the seven finalists, with anyone reaching 80% support or finishing in the top three automatically being inducted. In past years, all five finalists were voted in, and all five got inducted for the last 17 years.

Candidates from the seniors, coach, and contributor categories were grouped, and voters picked three. Candidates needed 80% support, with the top finisher automatically getting in, even if they didn’t reach the 80% mark.

Hall of Fame spokesman Rich Desrosiers said no decision has been made yet about whether this system will remain for 2026, but he added that it’s too soon to conclude after one year.

Gates was elected in his second year of eligibility. He played only basketball in college before becoming one of the NFL’s top tight ends after being drafted by the Chargers.

“The opportunity I got speaks volumes of how [the Chargers] believed in me,” Gates said. “I’m happy it all paid off.”

He became an All-Pro in his second season in 2004 and was an All-Pro again the next two seasons. Gates had a 16-year career with the Chargers, finishing with 955 catches for 11,841 yards and setting an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown receptions. He ranks seventh all-time in TD catches.

Jared Allen was a four-time All-Pro who finished his career with 136 sacks, including a league-leading 22 in 2011 for Minnesota. He also led the league with 15 1/2 sacks for Kansas City in 2007 and reached double digits in sacks for seven straight seasons. His final game was a Super Bowl loss with Carolina against Denver in the 2015 season.

Eric Allen was a top cornerback for 14 seasons in the NFL, never having to move to safety as he got older. His career spanned from the 1988 “Fog Bowl” game, when he starred for Philadelphia as a rookie, to the 2001 “Tuck Rule” game in Oakland, his final game.

Allen finished his career with 54 interceptions, including eight returned for touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1989 and earned two second-team All-Pro selections.

Allen was inducted in his 19th year of eligibility.

“Rarely does life play out like you want it to,” Eric Allen said. “There’s always some curves and bends. But time always reveals the truth. … It took maybe time for people to see the complexity of my situation.”

Sharpe had a short but successful career with the Green Bay Packers from 1988 to 1994. His best season was in 1992 when he became the sixth player to win the receiving triple crown, setting an NFL record with 108 catches for 1,461 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He broke his own record with 112 catches in 1993 and led the NFL with 18 touchdown receptions in his final season, 1994, before a neck injury ended his career.

Sharpe was a three-time All-Pro and finished with 595 catches for 8,134 yards and 65 touchdowns. He trailed only Jerry Rice in receptions and TD catches over his seven-year career.

The Sharpe brothers will join three father-son pairs already in the Hall: Tim and Wellington Mara; Art Rooney Sr. and Dan Rooney; and Ed and Steve Sabol.

The other modern-era candidates who reached the final stage but did not make it were Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri. These four will automatically move to the final 15 for next year’s voting.

Other finalists who were eliminated earlier were Manning, Jahri Evans, Steve Smith Sr., Terrell Suggs, Fred Taylor, Reggie Wayne, Darren Woodson, and Marshal Yanda.

The seniors candidates who fell short were Maxie Baughan and Jim Tyrer, and Mike Holmgren missed out as the coach. Ralph Hay was also not inducted as the contributor.