While the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is star-studded, next year’s class is loaded with NFL legends that could give voters long hours on who to decide to induct.
Time to sort through which notable names are officially eligible for Canton, Ohio.
Projecting Which NFL Players Are Inducted Into the Hall of Fame in 2025
Can’t stress this enough, but the ’25 class is bound to complicate the voting process. The list here is filled with a past Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, a dominating seven-time Pro Bowler, and even modern-era finalists who barely missed the 2024 cut.
Here now are the predictions of who’ll comprise next year’s class.
Eli Manning
If there’s truly a player with the highest potential of garnering the most votes, it’s Eli Manning.
After all, he led two Super Bowl victories with the New York Giants and claimed the game’s MVP trophy in both. One of those wins was the pulsating Super Bowl 42 upset that denied the New England Patriots’ undefeated pursuit.
Outside of the big game wins, Manning earned four Pro Bowls and totaled 57,023 passing yards — placing him at No. 10 overall. His ranking there and the Super Bowl victories elevate his chances of receiving the gold jacket, plus potentially earning the most HOF votes.
Luke Kuechly
As the league witnessed the end of Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher’s dominance, Luke Kuechly became the one who carried the linebacker mantle across the league.
Kuechly only missed one Pro Bowl season — his rookie year in 2012. The Carolina Panthers star even led the league with 164 tackles that year. But the rest became history, as Kuechly earned seven Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro nominations while solidifying a fierce Panthers defense. He also emerged as a pivotal defensive fixture during Carolina’s 15-1 season of 2015.
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Voters may use Kuechly’s truncated NFL career as a reason to not put him in the Hall right away. Kuechly only played eight seasons in the league because of injuries including concussions. But his dominance during 2012-19 shouldn’t be overlooked and could still get him a knock on the door.
Terrell Suggs
Staying on defense, Terrell Suggs has a chance to comprise a two-person class of linebackers for next year’s HOF class.
The former Baltimore Ravens standout Suggs is another seven-time Pro Bowl selection most revered for his pass-rushing — producing seven seasons of surpassing the double-digit mark for sacks. He’s also won Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
Like Manning, “T-Sizzle” is another past Super Bowl winner eligible for next year’s class.
Joe Staley
If an offensive lineman is facing the highest chances of hearing the knock and invite, it’s the former San Francisco 49ers blindside protector Joe Staley.
Through 192 total career starts, Staley earned six Pro Bowls while protecting names like Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, and Jimmy Garoppolo — playing in conference championships with all three quarterbacks and Super Bowls with the latter two.
Staley is a two-time NFC champion with the 49ers, including losing to Suggs’ Ravens in the 2012 Super Bowl.
Antonio Gates
If there’s a snub from last year who could get a knock, Antonio Gates holds the best chance.
Gates snatched 116 career touchdowns as a tight end during his illustrious 16-season career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He even earned eight Pro Bowl nominations in the process while catching 955 total receptions. And the latter stat has him at No. 3 all-time among tight ends.
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The legendary Charger even opened up about being passed over by the HOF committee with Pro Football Network during Super Bowl week in Feb. 2024 — asking “What did I do wrong?”
Torry Holt
Torry Holt has had repeated snubs despite a Pro Bowl-caliber career at wide receiver.
However, 2025 could present his best chance as he’s watched other eligible WRs like Andre Reed, Tim Brown, Marvin Harrison, Calvin Johnson, and his St. Louis Rams teammate Isaac Bruce earn their spots in the Hall.
The seven-time Pro Bowler Holt became eligible in 2014 and has gone a decade waiting for the knock. He snatched 920 career catches for 13,382 yards and scored 74 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons. He could join Bruce, Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Orlando Pace as famed members of the “Greatest Show on Turf” in the Hall.