There’s no greater honor in sports than joining the Hall of Fame, and 25 former NFL players are one step closer to making that dream a reality. On Tuesday morning, the 25 modern-era semifinalists for the class of 2024 were announced publicly. Tight end Antonio Gates and defensive end Julius Peppers both made the cut in their first year of eligibility. There is only one other player with a chance this year who has never been a semifinalist before, running back Tiki Barber.
This is the full list of 25 modern-era players who are semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024:
- Eric Allen: CB
- Jared Allen: DE
- Willie Anderson: T
- Tiki Barber: RB
- Anquan Boldin: WR
- Jahri Evans: G
- London Fletcher: LB
- Dwight Freeney: DE
- Antonio Gates: TE
- Eddie George: RB
- James Harrison: LB
- Rodney Harrison: S
- Devin Hester: PR/KR/WR
- Torry Holt: WR
- Andre Johnson: WR
- Robert Mathis: DE/LB
- Julius Peppers: DE
- Steve Smith Sr.: WR
- Fred Taylor: RB
- Hines Ward: WR
- Ricky Watters: RB
- Reggie Wayne: WR
- Vince Wilfork: DT
- Patrick Willis: LB
- Darren Woodson: S
Among those 25, eight guys were finalists in the 2023 Hall of Fame voting. Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Torry Holt, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis, and Darren Woodson are all hoping to finish strong in 2024. Meanwhile, Eric Allen and Ricky Watters (both retired in 2001) have been waiting the longest for Canton to call their name.
Of that list, Torry Holt has been a semifinalist more often (10 times!) than anyone else represented. Hines Ward and Darren Woodson are both semifinalists for the eighth time. None of the other players left have been a semifinalist more than five times.
Buddy Parker is a finalist in the coaching category. 2024’s three senior finalists are Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael, and Art Powell.
Next Steps Toward Inducting the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class
Getting down to 25 potential Hall of Famers required whittling down a list that began with 173 names. Now, the list will be cut to 15 finalists for the class of 2024. After that, the candidates are reduced to the top 10 and a final five. If the last five get 80% support from the committee, they are officially Pro Football Hall of Famers.
The class of 2024 will be announced before the Super Bowl. They are usually enshrined in early August, when the Hall of Fame game kicks off the preseason, among other things during Enshrinement Week. Who will be immortalized forever in 2024? We’re one step closer to finding out.
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