Days before the end of 2024, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced the 15 Finalists who have advanced for possible Hall of Fame induction in 2025.

The class will be announced on February 6 as part of the NFL honors show

*Means they were a Finalist last year

**Means they are eligible for the first time.

The Finalists are:

Quarterbacks (1):

**Eli Manning: NYG 2005-19.  Manning went to two Super Bowls and won them, as did the Super Bowl MVPs.  A four-time Pro Bowl and Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, Manning passed for 57,023 Yards and 366 Touchdowns.  

It is no shock to see Manning here as the lone Quarterback, but his candidacy has some flaws.  Manning was never considered among the best three at QB in any year, and his overall record is .500.  Despite this, he is gaining the most attention of any candidate.  Ranked #99 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Running Backs (1):

*Fred Taylor:  JAX 1998-2008 & NWE 2009-10.  Taylor was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2007, and he accumulated 14,079 Yards from Scrimmage with 11,695 yards on the ground.   He also had 74 Touchdowns and is the only Running Back to make the finals, and he is now a two-time Finalist.  Ranked #167 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Wide Receivers (3)

**Torry Holt: STL 1999-2008 & JAX 2009.  A Super Bowl Champion with the St. Louis Rams, Holt went to seven Pro Bowls and led the NFL in Receiving Yards twice (2000 & 2003).  The one-time First Team All-Pro finished his career with 13,382 Yards and 74 TDs.  Holt is now a six-time Finalist.  Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Smith Sr.:  2001-16, CAR, BAL.  Smith led the NFL in Receptions (103), Receiving Yards (1,563), and Receiving Touchdowns (12) in 2005, and he was a two-time First Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler.  Smith accumulated 14,731 Yards with 81 TDs and is a Finalist for the first time.  Ranked #24 on Notinhalloffame.com.

**Reggie Wayne:  IND 2001-12.  Wayne was a career Colt, winning a Super Bowl there while earning six Pro Bowls and a First Team All-Pro.  He led the NFL in Receiving Yards in 2007 (1,510) and has significantly more Yards (14,345) than any other Preliminary candidate.  He also has 82 Touchdowns, and like Holt, he is a Finalist for the sixth time.  Ranked #11 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tight Ends (1)

*Antonio Gates:  SDG 2003-16 & LAC 2017-18.  Gates went to the Pro Bowl every year from 2004 to 2011 and was a three-time First Team All-Pro.  A Finalist last year, he had 116 Touchdowns and 11,841 Yards.  It was a mild surprise that he was not inducted in 2024.  Ranked #1 on Norinhalloffame.com.

Offensive Lineman (3):

*Willie Anderson (T):  CIN 1996-2007 & BAL 2008.  Anderson was chosen for four Pro Bowls in a row (2003-06), with his last three being First Team All-Pro worthy.  Anderson has been a Finalist for the previous two years.  Ranked #115 on Notinhalloffame.com.

*Jahri Evans (G):  NOR 2006-16 & GNB 2017.  Evans went to six consecutive Pro Bowls (2009-14) and was a First Team All-Pro in the first four.  He is also a Super Bowl Champion with the Saints and is now a two-time Finalist.  Ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com.

*Marshal Yanda (G):  BAL 2007-19. A Super Bowl Champion with Baltimore, Yanda went to eight Pro Bowls with two First Team and five Second Team All-Pros.  Like Manning, he is a Finalist in his first year on the ballot.  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Defensive Linemen (1)

**Jared Allen (DE):  KAN 2004-07, MIN 2008-13, CHI 2014-15, CAR 2015.  Allen twice led the NFL in Sacks (2007 & 2011) and would have 136.0 in total.  Allen also was the 2011 runner-up for the AP Defensive Player of the Year, though he did win the Sporting News DPOY.  A five-time Pro Bowler and a First Team All-Pro in four of those years, Allen had been a Finalist in all five of his years of eligibility.  Ranked #18 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Linebackers: (2)

**Luke Kucchly: CAR 2012-19.   Kuechly is a strong contender to enter Canton on his first year of eligibility as he is a former Defensive Rookie of the Year (2012) and Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.  A two-time leader in Combined Tackles, Kuechly was a seven-time Pro Bowl and five-time First Team All-Pro.  Kuechly is also a first-time Finalist in year one.  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.

*Terrell Suggs (Also DE):  BAL 2003-18, ARI 2019 & KAN 2019.  Suggs was the 2003 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and eight years later, he was the consensus Defensive Player of the Year.  He went to seven Pro Bowls, was a one-time First Team All-Pro, and compiled 139 Sacks, 202 Tackles for Loss, and 200 Quarterback Hits.  He was also a huge part of Baltimore’s second Super Bowl, and as a veteran, he retired, winning a second one with Kansas City.  Like Kuechly, he is a Finalist in his first year of eligibility.  Ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Defensive Backs: (2)

*Eric Allen (CB):  1988-01, PHI, NOR, OAK.  Allen secured 54 Interceptions and 787 Tackles and would have six Pro Bowl Seasons, with one earning a First Team All-Pro Selection and a UPI Defensive Player of the Year Award.  He was a Finalist last year.  Ranked #46 on Notinhalloffame.com.

*Darren Woodson (S):  DAL 1992-03.  Woodson was part of the Cowboys’ three Super Bowl Titles in the early 90s, a five-time Pro Bowl and three-time First Team All-Pro.  He has been a Semi-Finalist multiple times before and has 23 career Interceptions with 11 Sacks and 967 Combined Tackles.  Ranked #70 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Special Teams: (1)

**Adam Vinatieri PK: NWE 1996-2005 & IND 2006-19.  Entering his first year on the ballot, Vinatieri was a clutch performer who won four Super Bowls and was a three-time First Team All-Pro.  He is the all-time leader in Points Scored (2,673) and Field Goals Made (599).  He is also a Finalist in his first year on the ballot. Ranked #93 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Failing to advance:  

Ricky Watters: SFO 1992-01, SFO, PHI, SEA.  Anquan Boldin:  ARI 2003-09, BAL 2010-12 & SFO 2014-15 & DET 2016.   Hines Ward:  PIT 1998-2011.  Richmond Webb (T):  MIA 1990-2000 & CIN 2001-02.  Steve Wisniewski (G):  RAI 1989-94 & OAK 1995-2001.  Robert Mathis (DE, Also LB):  IND 2003-16.  Vince Wilfork (DT/NT):  NWE 2002-14, HOU 2015-16.  James Harrison:  PIT 2002, 2003-12 & 2017 -17, CIN 2013, NWE 2017.  Rodney Harrison (S):  SFG 1994-2002 & NWE 2003-08.  Earl Thomas (S):  SEA 2010-18 & BAL 2019.

1971 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1970.

For “1971,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1965. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, and the top 25 vote-getters were named Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

T
his is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of the 1971 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday.

Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

We continue to chip away at our revised Notinhalloffame.com Hockey list for the 2025 vote and have updated 176-200.

The entire list (albeit under construction) is here, but for your reference, here are the ranked players for Hockey Hall of Fame consideration from 176 to 200.

176. Olli Jokinen
177. Kenny Wharram
178. Camille Henry
179. Anders Hedberg
180. Brian Rolston
181. Real Cloutier
182. Alexei Yashin
183. Glen Harmon
184. Dmitri Kristich
185. Alexei Zhitnik
186. Simon Gagne
187. Frederic Oulasson
188. Gilles Meloche
189. Calle Johansson
190. Cy Wentworth
191. James Patrick
192. Ed Olczyk
193. Ted Harris
194. Charlie Huddy
195. Mark Streit
196. Alex Tanguay
197. Carson Cooper
198. Pit Martin
199. Bob Murray
200. Jose Theodore

Look for more updates soon.

Ben Simmons continues to be an enigma for the Brooklyn Nets, leaving the club scratching their heads about whether to retain his services or let him walk.

The Australian guard is in the final year of his lucrative contract with the Nets, but he has spent a large chunk of that time struggling with recurring injury problems.

Simmons has shown glimpses of a resurgence this season but the Nets want to be sure it is not a mere facade before deciding on his future.

The Nets haven’t lit up the NBA this season, but Simmons has performed relatively well. His long-term future will likely dominate the headlines for the rest of the campaign.

Simmons is a polarising figure both in the NBA and for fans in his native Australia. The Nets have become a popular pick with Aussie sports bettors due to Simmons’ presence on the team.

If the Nets decide to retain his services, betting apps in Australia will continue to be inundated with wagers on their NBA games over the next few seasons.

However, if Simmons is axed by the club, punters will switch their betting focus onto another NBA team, assuming he remains in North America.

Simmons has Failed to Justify his Salary

Simmons has spent five years with the Nets, but he has been a massive disappointment for the outrageous salary he commands.

Coming into the final season of a five-year, $177 million contract he signed in 2020, Simmons will take home $40.3m this year, making him the highest-paid player on the Nets roster.

Aside from his injury woes, Simmons’ mind-boggling salary - $12.7m more than the second highest Nicolas Claxton - will play a huge role in the club’s decision-making process.

Simmons has been efficient on either side of the court this season, showcasing his elite playmaking ability. He is also solid in rebounds and is versatile enough to slot into multiple positions.

However, he hasn’t done much to make the headlines, and his output is not good enough for a player of his calibre and salary demands. Simmons’s situation leaves the Nets in a dilemma as they struggle to align his contributions with their trajectory as a team.

Getting rid of his ridiculous salary will allow the Nets to reinvest in the team, but the plan is far from straightforward, with NBA clubs distancing themselves from a potential move for Simmons.

None of them are willing to take him on his current wages. He isn’t seen as a value-for-money trade as his output fails to justify his substantial salary, which leaves the Nets in a difficult position.

Simmons will likely see out his contract and enter unrestricted free agency next year. The Nets can still explore the possibility of bringing him back, but he would have to take a sizeable pay cut.

Nets Could Still be Valuable to the Nets

There is a compelling argument to be made for allowing Simmons to walk after this season. His salary demands - even on a reduced deal – may still outweigh the benefits he brings to a team in transition.

The Nets should consider using their resources to develop younger talents and snap up players who align with their project. Simmons has a unique skill set, but he does not tick those boxes.

His limitations as a scorer could also be a sticking point. Simmons is having the most efficient season of his career in terms of field-goal percentage. He has been efficient in attacking the basket and is still an elite passer and solid rebounder, but there have been issues with his shooting.

While his efficiency around the basket is commendable, Simmons has struggled to expand his offensive ability, whether it's taking mid-range jumpers or improving his free-throw shooting.

He has not evolved as a player, but play-off teams could be interested in signing him if they’re looking for a versatile playmaker, which means he should get minimum contract offers at least.

A change of scenery might be what Simmons needs. Changing teams could allow him to thrive in a more complementary role rather than carrying the weight of the Nets on his shoulders.

Moving on from Simmons seems like a no-brainer for the Nets, but keeping him might not be the worst idea in the world. His strengths as a passer, defender and transition player are still highly sought-after abilities in the NBA.

Simmons has shown flashes of his brilliance under head coach Jordi Fernandez, so there is no reason why he can’t continue to improve in the right environment.

He could also be a leader in the dressing room if the Nets proceed with their plans to revamp the team. His experience as a former All-Star and his basketball IQ could be crucial in mentoring younger players.

Simmons could still be a valuable player for the Nets, but only if he agrees to revised terms.