After leading Louisville to victory in the 2013 Sugar Bowl, Teddy Bridgewater was drafted by Minnesota as the last pick in the first round. He became the lead quarterback after Matt Cassel's injury and for a brief period, the Vikings thought they had found something special.

Bridgewater's best season as a sophomore was when he went to the Pro Bowl and threw for 3,231 yards. However, he tore his ACL in the training camp of 2016 and only played one game in 2017 when he returned from the IR. He later signed with New Orleans, where he saw limited action, but he was a starter for Carolina in 2020. During that season, he threw for a career-high of 3,733 yards, but only 15 TDs, and won four games. Bridgewater started for Denver in 2021 but could not lead his team to the playoffs. He then concluded his career as a backup for Miami and Detroit, ending his career with 15,120 passing yards and 75 TDs.

This will be a massive test for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

When you speak of players who have ten Pro Bowls, an All-Decade, three Super Bowls, and did it all with one team, you would say automatically that this is a Hall of Fame lock.  Not so fast.

The man in question is Matthew Slater, son of Hall of Fame Lineman Jackie Slater, but his position was Special Teams.

More specifically, the younger Slater was a Gunner, and no player, including Steve Tasker, whose career was defined by non-kicking/punting Special Teams has ever made it to the Hall. This includes Steve Tasker, who did receive consideration, but arguably, Slater has the better resume.

So, what happens?  What will they do with the best player at what he does?  This is one of our most fascinating cases for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jason Kelce was a walk-on as a Running Back at the University of Cincinnati and converted to Center, where he impressed enough to earn a spot in the 2011 Draft (6^th Round, 191^st Overall).  His landing spot was the Philadelphia Eagles, where he arguably became the most recognizable Center in football history.

Kelce won the starting job as a rookie, and went to his first Pro Bowl in 2014.  And from 2016 to the year of his retirement in 2023, Kelce received some form of post-season accolade, which included six Pro Bowls and six First Team All-Pros.  He bolstered Philadelphia’s O-Line for over a decade and was vital in the Eagle's Super Bowl LII win, and as the brother of superstar Tight End Travis Kelce he received additional limelight, which made him a national sports figure.

Centers rarely receive love from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but there has never been a Center as beloved as Jason Kelce.

Aaron Donald, a man on the Mount Rushmore of Defensive Tackles, dominated from his first NFL snap in 2014 to his last one in 2023.

Drafted 10^th Overall from Pittsburgh by the St. Louis Rams, Donald was incredibly difficult to counter.  Blessed with an explosive first step off the snap, Donald could overpower any offensive lineman but was equally gifted in swimming and maneuvering past them.  Donald was best known for his pass rush, but his run defence was equally effective.  He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, made the Pro Bowl, and was about to become the best defensive player in the game.

From 2015 to 2021, Donald had one of the most dominating runs of a player, regardless of position.  He was named the Defensive Player of the Year three times, and in the seasons he didn’t win, he was a top-five finisher.  Named a First Team All-Pro in all of those campaigns, Donald twice led the league in Tackles for Loss (2018 & 2019), Sacks once (2018), and Approximate Value once (2020).  This stretch of destruction was punctuated by a Super Bowl win over Cincinnati.

Donald played two more seasons, added a seventh First Team All-Pro and went out on top in 2023.  He left the gridiron with an extraordinary Approximate Value of 153 in 154 Games, 111 Sacks, 176 Tackles for Loss and 260 Quarterback Hits.

Donald will be a no-brainer for Canton in 2029.