Sterling Sharpe, Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, and Eric Allen have been selected as the new NFL Hall of Fame inductees. Compared to last year’s 2024 class which had seven additions, this is the smallest group since 2004. This leads to many wondering about two newly eligible players who were left off this version of the NFL Hall of Fame class: Luke Kuechly and Eli Manning.
For Sterling Sharpe, it was a long overdue moment for his call to Canton, just a little over 30 years after he retired from the NFL due to a neck injury. But now he gets his golden jacket. Sharpe only played seven seasons as a pro, totaling 8,134 receiving yards and 65 touchdowns, so maybe his career totals do not match the usual inductee, but the talent he showcased before the injury was undeniably Hall-of-Fame worthy.
Antonio Gates should have been selected last year in his first year of eligibility, but he made it onto this year’s rendition. The statistics simply do not lie: He is one of the best tight ends in the history of the NFL, holding the current record for most touchdown receptions by a tight end with 116, as well as 12,000 receiving yards.
Now that Jared Allen has been chosen as a Hall of Famer, every player that ranked top-ten in sack totals in NFL history may soon be eligible for an invitation to Canton. Allen ranks tenth with 136 sacks and was awarded four All-Pros and five Pro Bowls. Ten years after his retirement, he finally got his call and surely is worthy of this honor.
Eric Allen is surely the least known of the inductees this year, having retired in 2001. He totaled 56 career interceptions, which ranks fifteenth all-time, one All-Pro season, and six Pro Bowls. Some might call him a player who falls into the “hall of great” category because he doesn’t exactly pop off the screen in terms of career achievements.
Kuechly’s early retirement is surely the reason he was left off this year’s list, only playing eight seasons. Even in his short career, he boasted amazing results for the Carolina Panthers, being awarded five first-team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl appearances. There’s no doubt he’ll be rewarded with a trip to the Hall in the coming years, but he is deserving of the first ballot status. His career statistics are nearly identical to the legendary Dick Butkus, who played nine seasons and was a first-ballot entry.
The conversation around Eli Manning is very interesting. Many believed he would be inducted in his first year of eligibility because his two Super Bowl wins over Brady and Belichick come quickly to mind, along with Super Bowl MVPs in both of those. His statistical milestones of 57,000 passing yards and 366 passing touchdowns, both ranking eleventh all-time in the NFL. However, only four Pro Bowls and no first-team All-Pros in 16 seasons do not make a strong case for his regular-season accolades.
Both of these men are likely to be picked next year in the 2026 Hall of Fame class, but it did come as a surprise that 2025 lacked both of these excellent players.
The NFL Hall of Fame induction will take place on July 27, 2025.
