Bob Veale was a Pittsburgh Pirate for most of his career, signing as an Amateur Free Agent in 1958, debuting for the Pirates in 1962, and joining the starting rotation two seasons later.

From 1964 to 1967, Veale won at least 16 Games and was the league leader in Strikeouts (250) in '64.  He fanned at least 200 batters the next two years, and again in 1969, but he was also prone to delivering Walks, leading the NL four times in that category.

Late in his Pirates career, Veale helped Pittsburgh win the 1971 World Series.  He was sold to Boston shortly after, but he was never the same player.

Veale had a 116-91 Record as a Pirate.

Advanced metrics don’t always tell the story.

Doug Drabek was the ace of the Pirates staff during the years they went to three consecutive NLCS (1990-92), though his bWAR does not reflect this.  Still, Drabek WAS the ace, won a lot, and generated confidence in teammates and fans alike.

Drabek began his career with the New York Yankees and was traded to the Pirates after only one year.  Inserted into Pittsburgh starting rotation immediately, Drabek slowly became a workhorse for the team, first breaking the sub-3 ERA in 1989 (2.80), and he reduced that to 2,76 in 1990.  That was the year he led the NL in Wins (22), had a WHIP of 1.063, and won the Cy Young.  Drabek then took the Pirates to the playoff three straight years, winning 30 Games combined in 1991 and 1992, with a fifth-place Cy Young finish in the latter year.

The Pirates imploded after the 1992 Season, essentially disbanding due to cost-cutting.  Drabek joined Houston as a Free Agent.  With the Pirates, Drabek won 92 Games against 62 Losses with a 3.20 ERA, a 1.148 WHIP, and 820 Strikeouts.

Bespectacled and unassuming, Kent Tekulve was one of the better Relief Pitchers in the National League for years.

Tekulve was in the Pirates organization from 1969 to 1985, debuting for the parent club in 1974.  Having never started a game for Pittsburgh, the submarine-style hurler settled in with the Pirates bullpen, becoming their closer in 1978.  That year, and the year after, Tekulve led the National League in Games Pitched, Games Finished and was fifth in Cy Young balloting.  Tekulve was also instrumental in Pittsburgh's 1979 World Series Championship, saving three games, including the deciding one.

Tekulve continued to be a top reliever in the early 80s but was traded to their in-state rival, Philadelphia, before the 1985 Season.  With the Pirates, Tekulve appeared in 722 Games, saved 158, and finished 470.

Membership into the NFL’s Hall of Fame is arguably the greatest honor any player can receive in the NFL. It is recognition for a fantastic career in the league and suggests a player was one of the best in their position during that spell.

Although there is a lot more work to do for these players, before they can reach for the ultimate NFL accolade, here are three stars who are on course to end their career as Hall of Fame hopefuls.

Patrick Mahomes

Since arriving in the NFL in 2017, Patrick Mahomes has created an incredibly high standard for quarterbacks to follow. In his first full season, he won the MVP award for his performances for the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes led his team to the Super Bowl in 2020, though 12 months later, his side was beaten by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Super Bowl LV.

What makes Mahomes so special, and potentially a future Hall of Famer, is that he can produce quality plays that seemingly no other QB in the NFL can do. He passes from all kinds of angles with great accuracy and the 26-year-old is also a great scrambler, hurting defenses just when they think they have got him.

With the way things are headed, it's very likely that Mahomes could be set for another Super Bowl ring this season. As it stands, the Kansas City Chiefs are currently the favorites to win the Super Bowl LVI on DraftKings, one of the most acclaimed online sports betting sites in Iowa, with odds of +120. Other contenders such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are priced at +1000, while the San Francisco 49ers are pegged at +450.

TJ Watt

Outsider linebacker TJ Watt has been in the NFL five years now and in each of those seasons, he has been one of the stand-out defensive players in the league. If it wasn’t for future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, he would have won at least one NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award by now.

Like his brother JJ, Watt has been so destructive to quarterbacks, regardless of their quality and reputation. He has 72 sacks to his name now since 2017, 22.5 came in 2021 in what was the best year of his career, matching the NFL record which was held by Michael Strahan since 2001.

The Steelers man signed a four-year extension with his franchise last year worth $112 million. $80 million of that money is guaranteed. Steelers are relieved to have locked down their star player for another four years.

Jonathan Taylor

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor quickly made a name for himself in the NFL in his rookie year. He scored 11 touchdowns in 13 games and rushed for over 1,000 yards. 

In his second year, Taylor led the league in rushing yards, finishing the campaign with 1,811 yards. Taylor also broke the franchise record for the most rushing yards in a season. If Taylor continues at the rate he is going, he is set to break many records in the league. The biggest threat to the 23-year-old could be injuries. As Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley have found, the position is tough on the body, and it only takes one tackle to put a player out for a sustained period.

The early signs around Taylor are very good. He is explosive and intelligent. It’s a combination that should lead to him developing into one of the best players in the NFL. There is a long way before the above three players become eligible for the NFL Hall of Fame but their current projections have them on course to get there after they retire.