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Quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald headlined a radical of 4 modern epoch finalists successful their archetypal twelvemonth of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tight extremity Jason Witten and moving backmost Frank Gore were the 2 different first-year eligible players who were besides announced Tuesday among the 15 finalists.
Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri were guaranteed spots aft advancing to the last 7 successful voting for the 2025 class. There are six different returning finalists with Eli Manning, Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshall Yanda, Terrell Suggs and Darren Woodson each making it backmost to this stage.
Defensive tackle Kevin Williams made it to the finalist signifier for the archetypal clip successful his sixth twelvemonth of eligibility.
The 50-person enactment committee volition ballot connected the 15 finalists adjacent period with the results announced Feb. 5 astatine "NFL Honors." Between 3 and 5 of the finalists volition beryllium inducted successful the 2nd twelvemonth of this existent format.
In summation to the modern epoch finalists, the enactment committee volition besides see seniors candidates Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood, coaching campaigner Bill Belichick and contributor Robert Kraft. Between 1 and 3 of those finalists volition marque it into the Hall.
Drew Brees of ESPN Monday Night Countdown connected acceptable earlier the crippled betwixt the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams astatine SoFi Stadium connected November 11, 2024 successful Inglewood, California.
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Only 4 radical got successful past twelvemonth for the smallest people successful 20 years.
Brees and Fitzgerald are the apical caller candidates this year.
Brees is 2nd each clip to Tom Brady with 80,358 yards passing and 571 touchdown passes. He spent the archetypal 5 seasons of his vocation with the San Diego Chargers earlier signing arsenic a escaped cause with the Saints successful 2006, wherever his vocation took disconnected arsenic helium helped assistance a metropolis inactive recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
Brees delivered to New Orleans its archetypal Super Bowl rubric pursuing the 2009 season, erstwhile helium won MVP of the crippled aft beating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Brees made the Pro Bowl 13 times successful his career, won AP Offensive Player of the Year successful 2008 and 2011, was an All-Pro successful 2006 and was a second-team All-Pro 4 times.
Fitzgerald spent his full vocation with the Arizona Cardinals aft being drafted 3rd wide successful 2004. His 1,432 catches and 17,492 yards receiving successful 17 seasons fertile 2nd each clip to Jerry Rice.
Fitzgerald topped 1,000 yards receiving 9 times — tied for the 4th astir ever — and helped the Cardinals scope their lone Super Bowl pursuing the 2008 season. Fitzgerald acceptable single-season records that postseason with 546 yards receiving and 7 TD catches, including a go-ahead 64-yard people with 2:37 to play successful the Super Bowl earlier Pittsburgh rallied for a 27-23 triumph implicit Arizona.
Larry Fitzgerald.
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Witten was 1 of the astir prolific choky ends with his 1,228 catches and 13,046 yards ranking 2nd champion each time. Witten was a two-time All-Pro for Dallas and was a second-team All-Pro 2 different times.
Gore ranks 3rd each clip with 16,000 yards rushing with 9 1,000-yard seasons and 5 Pro Bowl honors.
Kuechly's vocation was little but impactful. The first-round prime by Carolina successful 2012 was an All-Pro 5 times, with 7 Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led each linebackers successful the NFL successful tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).
Vinatieri was 1 of the astir clutch kickers successful NFL history, making the game-winning tract goals successful the archetypal 2 Super Bowl victories during New England's dynasty.
He helped motorboat the tally with 1 of the game's top kicks — a 45-yarder successful the snowfall to unit overtime successful the "Tuck Rule" crippled against the Raiders successful the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning footwear successful OT to triumph that crippled and past deed a 48-yarder connected the last play of a 20-17 triumph successful the Super Bowl against the Rams.
Vinatieri is the NFL's vocation person successful points (2,673) and made tract goals (599) implicit a 24-year vocation with New England and Indianapolis. He besides leads each players with 56 tract goals and 238 points successful the postseason.
CANTON, OHIO - AUGUST 24: An interior presumption of the Pro Football Hall of Fame gathering connected August 24, 2025 successful Canton, Ohio.
Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Images
Holt was a cardinal portion of the Rams' "Greatest Show connected Turf," helping the squad triumph the Super Bowl successful his rookie play successful 1999 and getting backmost determination 2 years later. Holt led the NFL successful yards receiving successful 2000 and successful catches and yards successful 2003 erstwhile helium made his lone All-Pro team.
Holt finished his vocation with 920 catches for 13,382 yards and 74 TDs.
Anderson was considered 1 of the apical close tackles successful his epoch aft being a first-round prime by Cincinnati successful 1996. He spent astir his full vocation with the Bengals and made 3 consecutive All-Pro teams from 2004-06.
Among the candidates who didn't beforehand from the 26 semifinalists were backmost Philip Rivers, who was taken disconnected the ballot erstwhile helium came retired of retirement, and violative lineman Steve Wisniewski, who was successful his last twelvemonth of eligibility arsenic a modern epoch candidate.
Two finalists from past twelvemonth besides didn't beforehand with moving backmost Fred Taylor and receiver Steve Smith Sr. falling short.
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