2024 Pre-Season Rank #109,  2023 Pre-Season Rank #126. Peak Period: 2020-24

In 2019, Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and took LSU to the National Championship.  There was no doubt that he would go number one overall, and the Cincinnati Bengals have been blessed to have him.

After his rookie year, Burrow has arguably been a top-five NFL pivot, and as a sophomore, he brought the Bengals closer than they had ever been to capturing the Lombardi Trophy.  Last season, he was electric on a Cincinnati squad that had depth and defensive issues, and he led the NFL in Passing Yards (4,918) and Touchdowns (43) with only 9 Interceptions.  He was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year, and was fourth in MVP voting despite a 9-8 record.

The Bengals are one of the most intriguing teams entering 2025, but they will contend as long as Burrow is healthy.  If he is, expect another significant jump in this rank next year. 

2024 Pre-Season Rank #53, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #121. Peak Period: 2020-23*

And now he is a champion.

Jalen Hurts and the tush push brought the Philadelphia Eagles their second Super Bowl, and while he has only been in the NFL for five years, it feels like a long time coming.

Jalen Hurts was the runner-up for the 2019 Heisman, and there were a few questions that surrounded him in the following draft. There should not have been.  Hurts won the Bert Bell Award in 2022 and has an AV/G well over the MPA in his brief career, which, based on modern metrics, a QB needs to have to sniff Canton.  Hurts has the skills and talent around him to become the first Quarterback to rush for 100 Touchdowns (unless Josh Allen beats him to it), and this does not take into account his excellent passing skills.

Whenever a QB wins a Super Bowl, the Hall of Fame buzz accelerates, and the Eagles are a squad that could win several.  The scary thing is that Jalen is just entering his prime.

2024 Pre-Season Rank #66, 2023: Pre-Season Rank #93.  Peak Period 2019-23.

Orlando Brown begins his eighth season, his third in Cincinnati, where the Tackle will look to win his second Super Bowl (his first coming in Kansas City).  Brown had a four-year streak of Pro Bowls (2019-22), but his run with the Bengals has taken him off that upper tier of Tackles, though he is capable of returning to that level.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives. As such, it is important to us that the

New York Mets have announced that next season that they will retire the numbers of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry.

In the 1980s, the Mets had the two most exciting players in the sport in Gooden and Strawberry, and they would lead the team to victory in the 1986 World Series.

Drafted fifth overall in 1982, Gooden shot up from High-A to the Majors in 1984 while still a teenager, winning the Rookie of the Year (17-9), the Strikeouts (268), FIP (1.69) and WHIP (1.073) Titles and was second in Cy Young voting. “Doc” won the Cy Young in 1985, leading the league in Wins (24), ERA (1.53), Strikeouts (268) and FIP (2.13). This was his peak, as he dealt with injuries and substance abuse, which culminated in his suspension for the entirety of the 1995 Season. The four-time All-Star never played for the Mets after, leaving behind a 157-85 record and 1,875 Strikeouts.

Strawberry was the dynamic power hitter of the squad, using his tall and lanky frame to go deep and his gifted athleticism to become one of the most popular players of his day. The first overall pick of the 1980 Draft, Strawberry joined the Mets in 1983, winning the National League Rookie of the Year. The Outfielder then embarked on an eight-year streak of All-Star Games (the last was as a Dodger) with his peak period coming from 1987 to 1990. Strawberry joined the 30-30 club in 1987, and in 1988 was the runner-up for the MVP, winning the Home Run (39), Slugging (.545) and OPS Titles (.911). In 1990, his last year with the Mets, he was third in MVP voting. With the Mets, Strawberry belted 252 Home Runs, with a .520 Slugging Percentage, while also collecting two Silver Sluggers.

Gooden and Strawberry were not without controversy, as both had dealt with off-field issues that hampered their overall performance and arguably cost themselves a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden for earning this impending honor.