Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. .
On Saturday the Hall announced the names of the 15 modern era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final voting stage. The group includes five players in their first year of eligibility, nine who were finalists last year and catcher Steve Smith Sr., who made it this far for the first time in his fourth year of eligibility.
The selection committee will vote next month on the class of three to five modern-era players to be announced the week of the Super Bowl.
Five others are also under consideration for enshrinement, with Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe and Jim Tyrer finalists in the senior category, Mike Holmgren in the coaching category and Ralph Hay as a contributor. Between one and three of those nominees will also be inducted into the Hall.
Manning, Kuechly and Suggs are finalists in their first year of eligibility, along with postseason kicking star Adam Vinatieri and former Baltimore guard Marshal Yanda.
Gates was a first-time finalist for the 2024 class and is back at this stage along with defensive end Jared Allen; 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 also advances.
Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall after an outstanding career with the New York Giants. Manning was selected first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to a surprising victory over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl after the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.
He led another late touchdown drive to surprise Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 quarterbacks to win multiple Super Bowls, and eight of the nine who are eligible for the Hall will be inducted.
Only Jim Plunkett has not been included, along with newer players like Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who are not yet eligible.
Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler, but he never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season. He finished his career with 57,023 passing yards and 366 TDs.
His best moments came during those two postseasons. 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 best defensive players of their era, with Kuechly selected as the best defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.
Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. Carolina’s 2012 first-round pick was a five-time All-Pro, with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
During his eight-year career, Kuechly led all NFL linebackers in tackles (1,090), sacks (26), interceptions (18) and passes defended (66).
Suggs was one of the league’s best pass rushers during his 17-year career, and his 139 sacks ranked eighth best since they became an official statistic 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 league’s top defensive player and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.
Gates only played basketball in college before becoming one of the NFL’s top tight ends after being drafted by the Chargers. He became an All-Pro in just his second season in 2004. He was an All-Pro again the next two seasons and had a 16-year career with the team.
Gates finished with 955 receptions for 11,841 yards and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown receptions.
Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, scoring the winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during the New England dynasty.
He helped launch the run with one of the best kicks in the game: 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 winning kick in overtime to win that game and then scored a 48-yard score on the final play of a 20-17 Super Bowl victory against the Rams.
Vinatieri leads the NFL in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) during a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.
