| Much of today’s Briefing is consumed by Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com telling us how far along the path to Canton today’s top players are (or aren’t). Saad Yousouf of The Athletic reviews the Hall of Fame Enshrinement: After longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was denied the nod by voters earlier this year in his first year of eligibility, the Class of 2026 became one of the most widely discussed Hall of Fame classes in recent history. The class featured five individuals, all players. Quarterback Drew Brees, linebacker Luke Kuechly, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and kicker Adam Vinatieri were the modern-era inductees, while running back Roger Craig was selected as a senior inductee in his 28th year of eligibility. Brees, Kuechly, Fitzgerald and Vinatieri all gave speeches live on stage while Craig was present but had his speech delivered with a prerecorded video in which he revealed he’s been diagnosed with dementia. The speeches included many walks down memory lane, light-hearted humor and emotional moments. Here’s what stood out from each player as they took the stage to receive their golden jackets: Drew Brees, QBDraft: 2001 second-round pick (No. 32 pick)Playing career: 2001-2005, San Diego Chargers. 2006-2020, New Orleans Saints Career highlights: Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP. First-Team All-Pro in 2006 and two-time Offensive Player of the Year. Thirteen Pro Bowl selections. Led the NFL in passing yards seven times, completion percentage six times, touchdown passes four times and passer rating twice. First-ballot Hall of Famer. From the speech: Brees was the last member of the Class of 2026 to deliver his speech, and it was the longest of the afternoon. In the 25-minute speech, Brees spoke about the key role that his upbringing played, both on and off the field with his family and coaches, in his success. Brees also spent time reflecting on his time in New Orleans, where he spent the majority of his NFL career. “It doesn’t take you long to realize what makes New Orleans so special,” Brees said. “New Orleans has been through a lot, to the point where, in some cases, the feeling was that we may have lost everything. It may never come back the same. Storms teach us that our greatest treasures aren’t the things that we own. They’re the people we love and the way we show up for one another. It reminds us to hold our loved ones a little closer, to love a little harder, to laugh a little louder and to never take a single day for granted.” Luke Kuechly, LBDraft: 2012 first-round pick (No. 9 pick)Playing career: 2012-2019, Carolina Panthers Career highlights: Five-time First-Team All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. Selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls from 2013-2019 and led the NFL in tackles twice. Helped the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2015. Selected to the Hall of Fame in second year of eligibility. From the speech: Kuechly spent a lot of time thanking people from throughout his life, including his “first team,” which was his family, as well as various individuals from his football journey. Kuechly also talked about what football brought him and what he misses about it. “The relationships formed through football are unique,” Kuechly said. “You see each other at your best, and you see each other at your worst. You spend long days together in meeting rooms. You learn how different people communicate, lead and overcome challenges. Over time, teammates become friends and friends become family. That’s why when people ask me what I miss most about football, it’s not one specific game or one specific play. It’s the locker room, which I feel like I have again with you guys (fellow Hall of Famers) up here. “It’s the conversations that have nothing to do with sports. It’s celebrating together after wins and hurting together after losses. There’s no way to measure what the game of football has given to me, the joy it’s provided and, more than anything, the people I have been so blessed to be around as a result of this game.” Larry Fitzgerald, WRDraft: 2004 first-round pick (No. 3 pick)Playing career: 2004-2020, Arizona Cardinals Career highlights: Led the league in receptions twice and led the league in receiving touchdowns twice. First-Team All-Pro in 2008. Helped the Cardinals to a Super Bowl appearance in 2008, in which he set records for most receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in a single postseason. First-ballot Hall of Famer. From the speech: Playing in an era that spotlighted flamboyant wide receivers such as Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson, Fitzgerald took a more soft-spoken approach and let his play do the talking. In his speech, Fitzgerald showed more of his personality. He thanked Hall of Fame wide receiver and mentor Cris Carter, while saying he always had better hands than Carter. He thanked Randy Moss, complimenting the fellow Hall of Famer by saying he couldn’t learn anything from Moss because Moss was such a unique talent. He referenced Emmitt Smith’s wrestling skills in the locker room and Kurt Warner’s love for spaghetti, while thanking both for their mentorship. Fitzgerald thanked many people, from former coaches and teammates. He also honored his late mother, Carol, who passed away from breast cancer in 2003 and his late father, Larry Sr., who passed away this summer. He finished his speech with words of wisdom to his children. “The one thing I want you boys to remember most from everything you’ve heard: surround yourself with people who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear,” Fitzgerald said. “Those are the people who actually love you. Copy their examples. And remember, there’s never much traffic on the extra mile in life. Bring others along with you. Don’t just pursue excellence for yourself; help others pursue it, too. That’s the part of this story that matters the most.” Adam Vinatieri, KDraft: UndraftedPlaying career: 1996-2005, New England Patriots. 2006-2019, Indianapolis Colts Career highlights: Four-time Super Bowl champion, known for making clutch kicks, including two in the snowy Tuck Rule Game during the 2001 divisional round and game-winning field goals in two Super Bowls. Three-time First-Team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler. Holds the record for most field goals made in a career, most consecutive field goals made, most combined regular season and postseason games played and is the league’s career scoring leader. Selected to the Hall of Fame in second year of eligibility. From the speech: Vinatieri spoke for nearly 20 minutes and delivered a speech that had a little bit of everything. In thanking various teammates from his 24 seasons in the NFL, Vinatieri took playful jabs at legends, such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. He joked about Drew Bledsoe being the best quarterback in Patriots history, then added he didn’t want to make more jokes about Brady out of fear he would give Vinatieri a “Will Smith” slap, the way he recently did to Logan Paul. He thanked Manning for donating his “gigantic” forehead as the teleprompter for his speech. Vinatieri also joked that Bill Belichick couldn’t make it because he’s judging his girlfriend’s cheerleading competition and that his former teammate Pat McAfee is the “only person who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife.” Vinatieri had plenty of sincere moments as well, including ending his speech with an open letter to the sport. “I want to thank the game of football,” Vinatieri said. “Football, it would be so easy for me to forget to tell you how much you mean to me. If you were sitting here in the crowd today, this is what I would say. ‘I loved you with everything I had. There was a time when I thought I wanted you more than air, but I was wrong. You were the air. You gave me purpose. You gave me direction. You gave me a life I could have never imagined. The beautiful thing about our relationship is that the more that I gave to you, the more you gave back to me. The more I devoted myself to you, the more you rewarded me. The more I committed to you, the more you committed to me.’” Roger Craig, RBDraft: 1983 second-round pick (No. 49 overall)Playing career: 1983-1990, San Francisco 49ers. 1991, Los Angeles Raiders. 1992-1993, Minnesota Vikings. Career highlights: Three-time Super Bowl champion, Offensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-Pro in 1988. Led the NFL in receptions in 1985, a season in which he became the first player to top 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. Selected to the Hall of Fame in his 28th year of eligibility. From the speech: Craig was present in Canton, but he didn’t deliver a speech from the stage. After he unveiled his Hall of Fame bust alongside his son, Roderick Craig, and his longtime teammate and presenter, Jamie Williams, a 10-minute prerecorded video played. Craig spent most of the time reflecting on his football journey, including former coaches and teammates, and his role in the 49ers’ dynasty in the ’80s. At the end of his speech, Craig revealed that he has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. “I want people to know this diagnosis doesn’t define me,” Craig said. “I am still Roger Craig. I am still a father, a husband, a teammate, a friend and someone who loves this game and the people who brought it to my life. If sharing my story helps even one family or one former player, then it’s worth it. Football gave me everything.” |
| HALL OF FAMERS IN WAITINGBill Barnwell prognosticates the chances of current NFL players getting a Gold Jacket. How many Hall of Famers are playing in the NFL right now? It depends on when you’re evaluating, of course. There are veterans near the end of their careers who have already proved themselves as locks to receive the game’s highest honor one day, such as Aaron Rodgers and Derrick Henry. There are players in their prime who are well on their way, such as Justin Jefferson and Pat Surtain II. And then there are young players who haven’t yet proved themselves to be Hall of Famers but could break out in the years to come, such as Caleb Downs or Arvell Reese from the 2026 draft. Go back to 2002, the first year with 32 teams. There are 54 players who suited up for at least one game that season enshrined in the Hall of Fame. That list doesn’t include Tom Brady (who becomes eligible in 2028) or borderline candidates such as Steve Smith and Reggie Wayne, who could earn enough votes to cross the threshold in the future. At the very least, we can use 55 Hall of Famers as our gauge, which is just under 3% of the 1,839 players who suited up for at least one game that season. Today, I’m going through each of the league’s 32 teams and attempting to identify the players who either are on track or have a realistic hope of earning gold jackets one day. This will be my estimate of who is likely to make it using historical comparables as opposed to my opinion of who should or should not be enshrined at some point. Naturally, that includes positional preferences; voters have historically loved to honor quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, but the bar is higher for linemen. I won’t attempt to pick among the rookies, whom we haven’t yet seen line up for an NFL snap, but I’ll work with everybody else and split the most notable candidates into one of five categories: Players listed as “in” have already done enough to earn enshrinement given their existing résumé. They could retire tomorrow and make it into the Hall of Fame after they become eligible. Those “on the cusp” have already done the vast majority of the work required and need only another season or two of solid play to get over the hump. As it stands, their résumé might already be enough to get in, but another successful season could push them into lock territory. The “keep it up” category is for players who are performing at a Hall of Fame level but haven’t done so for a long enough time to guarantee their path to enshrinement. They need to play at or near their existing level for several more seasons to have a shot. Guys who have “work to do” aren’t on track to make it to the Hall of Fame with their existing résumé and/or their most recent level of play. In some cases, that could be because injuries slowed their progress in 2025, or because they haven’t played at a Hall-caliber level for long enough. They still have a shot, but something has to change. Finally, the “missing out” category is for veterans who are at the point where they don’t have the existing résumé to make it to the Hall nor the time to reestablish themselves as viable candidates. Though anything’s possible, it will be a serious surprise if any of these players end up in Canton one day. They’re far more likely to end up in the Hall of Very Good. I usually start these all-32 columns with teams on the East Coast, so let’s mix things up and begin out west. NFC West Arizona CardinalsOn the cusp: S Budda Baker Baker has been stuck on some bad teams — the Cardinals have one winning season across his nine years in the league — but Pro Bowl voters have consistently seen him as an impactful and rangy difference-making safety. He has made eight Pro Bowls across that span. Every eligible player with at least 10 Pro Bowl appearances has been enshrined in Canton, so if Baker can earn two more, he should be a lock. One more might even be enough for the 30-year-old. Keep it up: TE Trey McBrideThe invisible force field that had kept McBride out of the end zone early in his career finally lifted in 2025, as he scored 11 touchdowns, nearly doubling his total over the prior three seasons combined (six). He’s not quite as explosive or elusive after the catch as Travis Kelce was in his prime or Brock Bowers has been so far as a pro, but McBride makes up that for with great hands and massive target shares. Los Angeles RamsIn: WR Davante Adams, Edge Myles Garrett, QB Matthew StaffordI don’t think I need to do much convincing here. Garrett is one of the best defenders in league history, and Adams had a five-year peak as arguably the top wide receiver in football. The case against Stafford would have been that nobody had ever really seen him as the best QB in the NFL (or close to it) in any of his first 16 years … but after winning MVP last season, that one’s out the window. He’s already in the top seven for career passing yards and touchdowns, and with an MVP and a Super Bowl victory, Stafford will waltz in. Keep it up: WR Puka NacuaNacua already has 1,486- and 1,715-receiving yard seasons to his name by the end of his third pro campaign, which is remarkable, even given that those years are part of the 17-game era. Just for fun, the 2023 fifth-round pick is also one of the league’s best blocking wideouts. The only questions are whether Nacua can stay on the field for full seasons at a time and whether there’s any drop-off once Stafford is ultimately replaced by Ty Simpson. Work to do: CB Trent McDuffie, DT Kobie Turner, Edge Byron YoungThe talented young linemen the Rams already had up front should get a boost from playing alongside Garrett. I thought Turner was the best of the bunch last season, but Young was devastating at times and parlayed his 12-sack, 29-knockdown campaign into his first Pro Bowl. I’m intrigued to see whether the Rams can afford to keep their DL standouts — both of whom are pending free agents — alongside Garrett for years to come. San Francisco 49ersIn: WR Mike Evans, RB Christian McCaffrey, OT Trent WilliamsEvans and Williams are easy first-ballot selections. McCaffrey has struggled with injuries, but he has had multiple seasons as the best RB in the league and plays a position that the Hall is always looking to appreciate. On the cusp: TE George Kittle, LB Fred WarnerKittle is right on the borderline of being a lock, having made seven Pro Bowls over his past eight pro campaigns before he tore his right Achilles last postseason. I’d vote for Kittle given his dominance as a blocker and four 1,000-yard seasons, but tight ends can go underappreciated by the Hall at times. One more substantial season would push Kittle, 32, to the “lock” side of things. I’d argue the same for Warner, who had four first-team All-Pro nods over a five-year span before his own serious injury a year ago. Work to do: Edge Nick Bosa, QB Brock PurdyBosa has a Defensive Player of the Year award to his name, but a pair of September ACL tears have essentially cost the 2019 first-round pick two of his seven pro seasons. He needs another great season and a couple more Pro Bowl-caliber campaigns to get back on the Hall track. Purdy’s efficiency has slipped since that dramatic 2023 campaign, and he has suffered meaningful injuries in three of his four pro seasons. Missing out: FB Kyle JuszczykRemember when I said a minute ago that every eligible player with at least 10 Pro Bowl appearances was enshrined in Canton? Well, Juszczyk will be a fascinating case to see whether that keeps up, given that he just earned his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl nod in 2025. Of course, while Juszczyk is a good player, it’s fair to wonder whether he’s racking up Pro Bowl appearances by virtue of being the most conspicuous player at a position where there simply aren’t many others, just as Mike Alstott became a six-time Pro Bowler with the Bucs. Juszczyk plays only about half of the offensive snaps in a typical game, and it seems telling that the 49ers were willing to cut him this offseason before re-signing him, saving about $500,000 in the process. I’d be a little surprised if he made it in just given how the league has valued fullbacks. (Matthew Slater, who earned 10 Pro Bowl appearances as a special-teamer for the Patriots, will also test the 10-Pro Bowl rule.) Seattle SeahawksKeep it up: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CB Devon WitherspoonIt’s pretty remarkable that the defending Super Bowl champions don’t have a single player who is either likely to make the Hall of Fame based on his prior production or one who is a big year away, but that’s a product of their unique roster build. Their stars are almost all young players, while their supporting cast is mostly veterans who have been solid players throughout their time in the NFL. The two cornerstones from John Schneider’s 2023 draft are very clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the young players on the roster in terms of tracking for Canton. Smith-Njigba, 24, is coming off a career season that earned him an Offensive Player of the Year award. He seems set to stick as one of the league’s best wideouts for years to come. Witherspoon has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, becoming just the 10th defensive back in league history to start his career with those honors. Just three other players have managed it since 1980: Everson Walls, Charles Woodson and Patrick Peterson. Work to do: OT Charles Cross, S Nick Emmanwori, DT Byron Murphy II, G Grey ZabelAnother great rookie class from Schneider makes its presence known here, as Emmanwori and Zabel produced Pro Bowl-caliber seasons in their debuts. Both play positions that can struggle to earn recognition. Cross appears to have settled in as a very good left tackle and, once Trent Williams retires, could benefit from seeing more honors head his way. Missing out: WR Cooper Kupp, DT Leonard WilliamsWilliams went eight years between Pro Bowl honors, earning one for his time with the Jets in 2017 before returning in 2024 and again in 2025 with the Seahawks. He was one of the league’s more underrated defensive tackles over that span, consistently producing impressive hurry rates without the significant sack totals that usually come along for the ride. He is deservedly getting plaudits for his work in Mike Macdonald’s defense, but it would take something truly special throughout his 30s to get Williams into the Hall. Kupp’s peak in 2021 through the first half of the 2022 season was truly spectacular, but there’s a significant gap between those 18 months and what he has done over the rest of his career. NFC South Atlanta FalconsKeep it up: RB Bijan RobinsonThe Hall loves its running backs, and Robinson has been among the best in the league across his three-year career. The explosive plays that had curiously been missing from Robinson’s profile appeared last season, and he nearly doubled his receiving totals from 2023 and 2024 with an 820-yard campaign in 2025. If Robinson can stay at or near this level while remaining healthy, he will earn a trip to Canton. Work to do: G Chris Lindstrom, WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts Sr.Lindstrom has made four straight Pro Bowls at right guard for the Falcons, but interior linemen typically need to be either earning first-team All-Pro honors or making double-digit Pro Bowls to find their way to the Hall of Fame. London has been saddled with inconsistent quarterback play, which hasn’t helped his chances, but he just turned 25 in July and still might have his best football ahead. Missing out: S Jessie Bates III, OT Jake MatthewsHere are two solid veterans who will end up landing in the Hall of Very Good. Matthews was unlucky to get stuck in the same conference as Trent Williams for most of his career. Bates has spent most of his time on subpar defenses, with that two-year run on the Bengals as they competed for Super Bowls as the exception. He’s such an underrated player, and the Bengals haven’t been the same on defense since he left in free agency in 2023. Carolina PanthersWork to do: DT Derrick Brown, CB Jaycee Horn, WR Tetairoa McMillanAfter struggling to stay healthy early in his career, Horn has mostly been able to stay on the field and earned back-to-back Pro Bowl honors for the Panthers. He has been a high-end cover cornerback at his best, although tackling can be an issue for him. McMillan got his career off to a solid start by winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, albeit amid a relatively weak class. Though a 1,014-receiving yard season was enough to earn the Panther the hardware, he’ll need to be more productive to set his sights on a gold jacket one day. New Orleans SaintsOn the cusp: Edge Cameron JordanI wrote about Jordan’s Hall of Fame candidacy last week in my look at the defensive class of 2011. I could see an argument that Jordan has already done enough to get in after a 10.5-sack season in 2025, and even a six-sack season in 2026 would surely be enough to get him over the hump. If he doesn’t reach those marks, my guess is that Jordan will still earn enshrinement one day, but it might take a few years for the Saints legend to get in. Missing out: RB Alvin KamaraKamara looked like he was well on his way to Canton after starting his career with five straight Pro Bowl appearances. Things haven’t gone quite that way since then. Kamara averaged 5.0 yards per carry and 1,746 yards from scrimmage per season with Drew Brees at quarterback, but since Brees’ retirement in 2021, Kamara has averaged 3.9 and 1,206. Kamara was able to come to terms on a restructured deal with the Saints, but he looks set to play in a split backfield alongside Travis Etienne Jr. for the next couple of seasons. Tampa Bay BuccaneersKeep it up: OT Tristan WirfsWirfs missed time with a knee injury last season and had more hiccups than usual in the weeks after returning, but he would still be the first pick if you were drafting any left tackle to dominate the league over the next decade. Let’s hope that the hamstring injury he reportedly suffered at the start of training camp doesn’t linger into the season. Work to do: S Antoine Winfield Jr.Winfield looked like he could be trending toward the Hall after a 2023 season with six sacks, six forced fumbles and three interceptions, but the second-generation pro missed half of the campaign that followed. Safeties typically need to stuff the stat sheet to have a shot at enshrinement, and Winfield’s 2023 season has been an outlier relative to the rest of his career. He’s also about to turn 28. Missing out: WR Chris Godwin Jr., QB Baker Mayfield, DT Vita VeaThere’s another world where Godwin would have a realistic shot at the Hall. Maybe he’d have gotten a few seasons with Jameis Winston and Bruce Arians in that high-tempo, explosive offense from 2019. Things might have gone differently if Godwin hadn’t torn an ACL at the end of an 1,103-yard season in 2021. And Godwin was on pace to approach 1,400 receiving yards in 2024, only for a dislocated ankle in garbage time to derail his season. NFC North Chicago BearsKeep it up: G Joe ThuneyLong one of the league’s most reliable guards, Thuney has finally gotten recognition for his steady and impactful work on the interior after turning 30; he has made it to four straight Pro Bowls and been a first-team All-Pro the past three seasons. Thuney’s impact on deep playoff runs for the Patriots and Chiefs helps his case, but he’ll need to win a few more All-Pro nods to get into the Hall. Work to do: CB Jaylon Johnson, TE Colston Loveland, QB Caleb Williams, OT Darnell WrightThe young players on Chicago’s offense have plenty of time to show what they can do. Wright took a major step forward in 2025 and was one of the league’s best right tackles. Loveland didn’t do much until November, at which point he became one of the league’s most explosive tight ends. And Williams showed signs of the massive upside we saw from him as a prospect coming out of USC, often at the biggest moments for the Bears as they advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. But these players have work to do to establish themselves as upper-echelon contributors. Missing out: DT Grady Jarrett, Edge Montez SweatThese are two good veteran linemen who don’t have the sort of pass-rush production we associate with Hall of Famers. Jarrett could have won a Super Bowl MVP for his three-sack performance against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI had the defense not run out of gas in the fourth quarter. I’m not sure that would have been enough to swing a meaningful number of Hall of Fame votes, though. Detroit LionsKeep it up: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Edge Aidan Hutchinson, OT Penei SewellDetroit’s young stars, on the other hand, have already established themselves at elite levels for multiple seasons. If Wirfs isn’t the first pick for best tackle of the next decade, it’s probably Sewell, who will follow in Wirfs’ footsteps this fall by attempting to make the move from right tackle to left tackle. Wirfs is one of the few to pull it off without a hitch, but I expect Sewell to follow in kind. Work to do: S Brian Branch, LB Jack Campbell, QB Jared Goff, S Kerby JosephInjuries are sadly the reason Branch and Joseph have taken a step backward, with no clear timeline for either to return after Branch tore an Achilles and Joseph suffered a still-mysterious knee injury. Campbell was able to step in as a first-team All-Pro after Roquan Smith and Fred Warner went down with their own injuries last season, but it’ll be difficult to hold onto those honors if the two standout linebackers are healthy again in 2026. Would Goff get serious Hall of Fame consideration? Not right now, although his résumé is better than you think. He has made five Pro Bowls and two deep playoff runs, but his limitations were on display in the Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. Goff is third in career passing yards through 10 seasons, trailing only Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning, both of whom played more games than him. Goff also hasn’t missed a game to injury since 2021. If he stays healthy, he’ll probably retire in the top 10 for career passing yards, and he could push to hit the top five. If there’s playoff success and even a Super Bowl win along the way, he might have a shot. Green Bay PackersOn the cusp: Edge Micah ParsonsParsons is facing a late start to the 2026 season after tearing his left ACL in December, but he was already well on his way to becoming a Hall of Fame lock. He has now started his career with five seasons of 12 or more sacks. Even if we lower the threshold to five 11-sack seasons to account for 16-game schedules in years past, the only other player to start their career in a similar fashion is Reggie White. I might feel like Parsons was already in if he had won a Defensive Player of the Year award or two over his first five seasons, but even without one, he’s close. Work to do: TE Tucker Kraft, QB Jordan LoveKraft was emerging as a potential leaguewide TE1 before suffering his own ACL tear last season. If he returns to that same form after recovering from the knee injury, Kraft could start earning real consideration in what will likely be a post-Travis Kelce world. He’s the most likely of the Green Bay pass catchers to leap into annual Pro Bowl consideration. And of course, one of those players breaking out would do wonders for Love’s chances of approaching Hall of Fame status. Missing out: S Xavier McKinneyMcKinney has earned first- and second-team All-Pro nods in his first two seasons with the Packers. Charles Woodson is an example of a player who built most of his Hall of Fame case after coming to the Packers midway through his career, but Woodson already had four Pro Bowls and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award under his belt before joining Green Bay. McKinney would need to repeat his 2024 season a few times to have a shot. Minnesota VikingsOn the cusp: WR Justin JeffersonJefferson has more receiving yards through his first six seasons than any player in NFL history, narrowly topping Randy Moss, Torry Holt and Jerry Rice. And although Jefferson plays in a higher-volume passing era than any of those players, consider that Moss was catching passes from Daunte Culpepper, and Holt (Kurt Warner) and Rice (Joe Montana) had Hall of Famers under center. Jefferson’s best quarterback as a pro has been Kirk Cousins. There will be plenty of competition at wide receiver in the years to come, but assuming Jefferson bounces back from an uneven 2025 season with better QB play, he’s only another year or two away from earning his plaque. Missing out: S Harrison SmithSmith isn’t currently on the Vikings roster, but the 14-year pro hasn’t yet retired, either. And there are no other Vikings in the Hall of Fame picture at the moment, so let’s touch on his candidacy here. Smith probably will land in the Hall of Very Good based on his existing résumé. Though he was a consistently impactful safety in Minnesota and made it to six Pro Bowls, Smith was a first-team All-Pro only once. He racked up 39 interceptions and 21 sacks over those 14 seasons, which are solid totals, but consistency might actually hurt him. Smith never topped five interceptions or three sacks in any campaign, though he hit those figures in four different seasons. He might have earned additional All-Pro honors if he had produced more concentrated totals and put together a few seven- or eight-interception campaigns. Smith also made it as far as the conference championship only once, so he won’t get a significant postseason boost. NFC East Dallas CowboysKeep it up: G Tyler SmithOf all the big names on the roster, Smith is the one who has played at a high level most consistently over the past three seasons. The best way for interior linemen to earn Hall of Fame consideration is to rack up Pro Bowl appearances early and often, and the Cowboys’ left guard has three of them in three seasons since kicking inside from left tackle after his rookie campaign. He had a viable case as an All-Pro last season and turned 25 only earlier this year, which could mean that his best football is still to come. Work to do: G Tyler Booker, WR CeeDee Lamb, WR George Pickens, QB Dak Prescott, DT Quinnen WilliamsOn the other hand, here’s where many of those big names reside. Lamb has made five straight Pro Bowls and continues to produce steadily, but his 1,749-yard season in 2023 is an outlier relative to the rest of his career. Lamb averaged nearly 103 receiving yards per game that season and hasn’t topped 80 per game in any other campaign so far as a pro. He could get to Canton with five more good-to-very-good seasons, but a more realistic path might be another year or two like the one we saw in 2023. Prescott’s potential Hall of Fame case is the sort of thing that should fuel morning debate shows in the 2030s. Postseason success has obviously eluded the quarterback, and he has missed significant chunks of time with injuries in three of his 10 years as a pro. But he has been steadily productive when healthy over the past seven seasons. He was second in MVP balloting in 2023, albeit a season when Lamar Jackson won 49 of 50 first-place votes. Given the playmakers in Dallas and his intelligent style of play, Prescott should continue to produce into his late 30s. The problem is that Goff, a more productive player with a more significant postseason résumé, might already be ahead of him in that upper-middle-class tier of potential Hall of Fame quarterbacks, let alone when we consider the likes of Jackson, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Prescott might end up landing somewhere around Philip Rivers in terms of career value, and although Rivers just reset his Hall of Fame clock after un-retiring a year ago, I’m not sure the former Chargers/Colts QB will end up getting in. New York GiantsMissing out: WR Odell Beckham Jr., Edge Brian BurnsNobody on the Giants appears to be on a Hall of Fame track at the moment, although edge rusher Abdul Carter or quarterback Jaxson Dart could obviously change that quickly if they deliver on their potential in Year 2. Receiver Malik Nabers is coming off a serious injury, and offensive tackle Andrew Thomas has struggled to stay healthy. Burns is still only 28, had a 16.5-sack season in 2025 and has three Pro Bowl appearances to his name. But playing for struggling organizations won’t help his chances, as Burns has been on only one team that won as many as seven games through his first seven years in the league. There are just too many edge rushers who have either been more productive or have more time to rack up serious sack totals to imagine Burns making it to Canton. And although Beckham looked like a surefire pick after three incredible seasons to begin his career, ankle and knee injuries slowed him. Philadelphia EaglesIn: OT Lane JohnsonJohnson has been the best right tackle in football when healthy for most of his career, which is usually an automatic path into the Hall. Two factors might give voters pause. One is the number of injuries that have cost Johnson a couple of games or more per season over most of his career. The other is the pair of PED suspensions (and the resulting 14 games missed) that Johnson has incurred during his career. Johnson has suggested that he should be disqualified from Hall of Fame consideration as a result of the suspensions, and I’m sure there will be voters who aren’t willing to consider him. My belief is that it’ll be tougher for Johnson to get in, but as time passes, I suspect more voters will focus on his body of work and push the legendary right tackle into the Hall. Keep it up: QB Jalen Hurts, CB Quinyon MitchellI thought the Prescott Hall of Fame discussion was going to be tough. Hurts has obviously had rough points at times over the past few years, but he has also done two things the Hall of Fame loves: play quarterback and win a lot of games. Hurts is 57-25 as a starter and has two trips to the Super Bowl, winning the game’s MVP award when the Eagles blew out the Chiefs. He also finished second in regular-season MVP balloting to Patrick Mahomes in 2022, with a late-season shoulder injury costing Hurts a chance at taking home the hardware. The 2026 season feels critical for Hurts, who lost A.J. Brown during the offseason before a move to a new offensive system under Sean Mannion. If he continues to play at his existing level and make a deep playoff run every few years, though, Hurts shouldn’t have trouble reaching the Hall of Fame. Work to do: RB Saquon Barkley, DT Jalen Carter, DT Jordan Davis, CB Cooper DeJean, Edge Jonathan Greenard, C Cam JurgensAt different points while putting together this list, I had Barkley in one of three different tiers. Is he on the cusp? Sure, if the cusp means having another season like his legendary 2024 campaign. Is he on pace to get there if he keeps up his existing level of play? Maybe, if he runs off five or six more seasons like 2025, when he was productive with significant play volume without being anywhere near as explosive or efficient as he had been the prior year. Barkley’s career has been similarly structured to Christian McCaffrey’s, but the 49ers back has enjoyed higher highs more often than his Eagles counterpart. The strength of Barkley’s case will be his three best seasons, including a transcendent 2024 campaign and two very good seasons in 2018 and 2022. There will be a (fair) perception that Barkley didn’t always have much to work with in New York, although that will fade to memory after Barkley retires and eventually becomes eligible for the Hall. My instinct is that he needs at least one more year in which he competes for Offensive Player of the Year honors to get in. Right now, he might be in a tier with players such as Jamal Lewis and Jamaal Charles, great backs who needed longer peaks to be enshrined. Washington CommandersWork to do: QB Jayden Daniels, OT Laremy TunsilDaniels enjoyed a spectacular rookie season, but the injuries that some analysts feared were likely to be a regular occurrence for the 210-pound quarterback reared their head in 2025. He was limited to four complete games in 17 tries. He still profiles as a superstar when healthy, of course, but Daniels has to prove that he can stay on the field to push for the Hall one day. Missing out: WR Terry McLaurin, WR Stefon DiggsMcLaurin turns 31 next month, so while it still feels like he’s a relatively young player, we’ve probably already seen his best pro seasons. (Consider that Justin Jefferson, who was drafted one year after McLaurin, is nearly four years younger.) McLaurin had pieced together five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before an injury-impacted 2025 campaign, most of which came with replacement-level quarterbacks throwing him the football. Healthy seasons from McLaurin and Daniels in 2026 could augur a potential career year, but it might be too late for the two-time Pro Bowler to earn serious consideration. AFC West Denver BroncosKeep it up: Edge Nik Bonitto, G Quinn Meinerz, CB Pat Surtain IIBonitto has been a sensation since entering the starting lineup for the Broncos, racking up 27.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He’s playing only 61% of the defensive snaps, which hints at the Broncos preferring him in more of a situational role, but there’s the potential for even more growth if defensive coordinator Vance Joseph ups his snap share in 2026 and beyond. Meinerz and Surtain are two of the absolute best players in football at their respective positions. Work to do: DT Zach Allen, QB Bo Nix, WR Jaylen WaddleIf anyone has the potential to go down the Cameron Heyward or Kyle Williams path and build a Hall of Fame case strictly based on being honored in their late 20s and 30s, it’s Allen. A breakout season with the Cardinals in 2022 earned the Boston College product a big free agent deal with the Broncos, but Allen really started to get the attention his play deserved only in 2024, when he was a second-team All-Pro. Allen bumped up to the first team last season, when his 47 quarterback hits were eight more than any other player in the league. Missing out: OT Garett BollesBolles has been underrated for most of his career, and it was great to see the stalwart left tackle earn his first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro nods in 2025. At 34 years old, though, Bolles is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and offensive linemen have a tough time making it to the Hall without significant accolades. Kansas City ChiefsIn: DT Chris Jones, TE Travis Kelce, QB Patrick MahomesYou’ll forgive me for not wasting time debating Kelce and Mahomes. Jones has made seven straight Pro Bowls, but his Hall of Fame case is supported by postseason heroics. Sure, 3.5 sacks in 22 postseason games might not feel like much, but Jones has made key plays to swing or win multiple critical playoff games for the Chiefs throughout his time in the league. He’s an easy pick with that playoff impact factored into the equation. Keep it up: C Creed HumphreyHumphrey has inherited the mantle of the best center in football from the retired Jason Kelce, winning first-team All-Pro honors each of the past two seasons. Outside of an on-again, off-again habit of struggling with low snaps, Humphrey’s athleticism and reliability in the Chiefs’ offense make him a quietly essential player for Kansas City. He has not missed a game in five years as a pro. Work to do: G Trey SmithOverall, 2025 wasn’t Smith’s best season, as the highest-paid guard in the league missed five games and wasn’t his typically impactful self as a run blocker. Smith still earned a Pro Bowl berth, although I think most close observers of offensive line play would have argued that Peter Skoronski of the Titans would have been a better selection. I’m optimistic that Smith can get back to his usual play in 2026, with the Chiefs potentially leaning into the run after the Kenneth Walker III signing to help take some pressure off a recovering Mahomes. Las Vegas RaidersKeep it up: Edge Maxx CrosbyCrosby was briefly expecting to further his Hall of Fame case with the Ravens this season, but after his trade to Baltimore controversially fell through, he seems set to spend at least part of the 2026 season with the only franchise he has ever known. That has suited the former fourth-round pick just fine, as Crosby has generated 69.5 sacks, 164 quarterback knockdowns and 133 tackles for loss over the past seven seasons. The latter figure is second to J.J. Watt for the most produced by any player over his first seven seasons since 2000. While Crosby has been consistent and played a ton of snaps, he still hasn’t had that sort of transcendent season or postseason recognition that might bump him into the “on the cusp” category. He is yet to receive a first-place vote for Defensive Player of the Year, finishing down the ballot in 2022 and 2023. The miserable record the Raiders have produced with Crosby might (unfairly) hurt the star defender’s chances of making it to Canton, too. Another trade — one that sticks this time — might help him in the big picture. Work to do: TE Brock Bowers, C Tyler LinderbaumBowers had one of the most spectacular rookie seasons we’ve ever seen from a tight end before injuries ruined his sophomore campaign. Everything hints toward Bowers having a massive year if he’s healthy in 2026, so availability might be the most important factor in determining whether he gets back on track. It’s still very early in his career, and Bowers plays a position that the Hall doesn’t prioritize, but his rookie season was just that special. Missing out: QB Kirk CousinsCousins has played forever during the most pass-happy era in league history, so he’s going to finish higher in the record books than you might imagine. He is currently 19th in career passing yards and 15th in career touchdown passes, topping plenty of Hall of Famers along the way. He has made more Pro Bowls (four) than playoff starts (three), although he did lead the Vikings to an upset win over a great Saints team on the road during the 2019 season. I’m not sure anybody sees Cousins as a Hall of Fame candidate, but he’s a good example of how simply staying on the field for a long time as a quarterback in this era can result in accruing significant stats. Los Angeles ChargersIn: Edge Khalil MackIt’s close. Mack had a quiet midcareer spell with the Bears as he battled injuries, including a foot issue that cost him most of the 2021 season, but he likely did enough before and after that stretch to get into the Hall. Early-career Mack was a terror, as he made three first-team All-Pro appearances and took home a Defensive Player of the Year award during his time in Oakland. Mack could have won that award again given his play during his first season with the Bears, only for Aaron Donald to rip off a 20.5-sack season and run away with the hardware. After the foot injury, Mack was dealt to the Chargers for cap relief and promptly put together a 17-sack season in 2023, giving him five double-digit sack campaigns. With nine Pro Bowl appearances, 113 career sacks and 148 career tackles for loss, Mack has already done enough to earn his trip to Canton. And one final big 2026 season just might be the difference in Mack making that trip even earlier after becoming eligible. Work to do: OT Joe Alt, QB Justin Herbert, OT Rashawn SlaterAlt and Slater need to stay healthy after missing all (Slater) or most (Alt) of 2025 with injuries. When they were both at 100 percent in 2024, they were arguably the best 1-2 tackle duo in the NFL. Their quarterback has shown every element of being a potential Hall of Fame signal-caller, too, but rarely have all those elements come together at the same time for Herbert. It’s easy to see Herbert’s brilliance, but his sack and interception rates both spiked last season without his top tackles on the field. Any year could be an MVP season for him given his talent, but six years in, Herbert has never really gotten close to one. He also hasn’t won a playoff game, which won’t help the 28-year-old’s chances. Missing out: S Derwin James Jr.James has been one of the two or three best safeties in the game over the past two years, as the hiring of Jesse Minter and James’ shift toward the line of scrimmage have allowed the experienced safety to wreak havoc in NFL backfields. We sadly haven’t always seen that player, with injuries costing James all but five games between the 2019 and 2020 seasons. James also wasn’t playing at the same level during his time with Brandon Staley as head coach. He’s a superstar, but the résumé isn’t really there for a Hall of Fame trip, especially with so many other talented safeties in the running. AFC South Houston TexansOn the cusp: Edge Danielle HunterHunter’s not an obvious candidate, and missing nearly a year and a half in the middle of his Vikings career hurt, but the six-time Pro Bowler is making a beeline for the Hall of Fame with his work over the past three seasons. Hunter has 114.5 sacks under his belt, 43.5 of which have come since the start of the 2023 campaign. And having entered the league at 20, Hunter’s still only 31 years old. He is 13th in career sacks through his age-31 campaign, and most of the players ahead of him are either in the Hall of Fame or locks to get there. The key number for Hunter might be 140 sacks. Each of the 10 players to hit that threshold is in the Hall. Hunter could get there in two years at his recent pace. Keep it up: Edge Will Anderson Jr., CB Derek Stingley Jr.It’s nice to have two of the best young defenders in all of football playing at an elite level alongside Hunter, too. Anderson has quickly become a disruptor up front and already has a Defensive Rookie of the Year award and a second-place finish for Defensive Player of the Year. Stingley has overcome early-career injuries to establish himself as a high-end cornerback, earning first-team All-Pro honors each of the past two seasons. Both of these guys could do this for years to come. Work to do: S Calen Bullock, WR Nico Collins, QB C.J. Stroud, CB Kamari LassiterStroud is obviously the disappointment here, but his drop-off might be overstated or a product of some recency bias, given that he was awful in the two playoff games we most recently witnessed. He was 11th in the NFL in Total QBR during the 2025 regular season, which was actually ahead of Stroud’s finishes in 2023 (15th) and 2024 (24th). He was able to mitigate some negative plays by reducing his sack and interception rates, although both bounced back up during that frustrating postseason. The idea that Stroud hasn’t further developed after an impressive rookie season seems more realistic and reasonable, but there’s a big difference between a QB who has stagnated and one who is declining. If the Texans could ever get their moribund run game going, Stroud’s life would instantly become a lot easier. I still think there’s the potential for a real step forward from Stroud, possibly as soon as this season. Indianapolis ColtsIn: G Quenton NelsonNelson is in the prestigious club of players to start their career with eight consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. Every Hall-eligible player to do that has been enshrined. The guys who aren’t yet eligible are Nelson, Aaron Donald, Tyreek Hill and Patrick Peterson, all of whom are almost sure things to make it to Canton themselves. A ninth consecutive Pro Bowl wouldn’t hurt Nelson’s chances … but even as an interior lineman, he has likely already done enough to get in. Work to do: CB Sauce Gardner, Edge Laiatu Latu, RB Jonathan Taylor, TE Tyler WarrenGardner was off to a white-hot start, earning first-team All-Pro nods in each of his first two campaigns under Robert Saleh in New York. Things haven’t gone quite as well over the two ensuing seasons, with Gardner struggling as a tackler and missing a combined eight games between the Jets and Colts. He’s about to turn 25 later this month, though, and Gardner could easily reestablish himself as one of the league’s top cornerbacks and get back on track quickly. Taylor was the best back in the NFL in 2021 and has been among the best backs in the league for the past year-plus or so. In between, though, Taylor’s ankle issues sapped his explosiveness and cost him 13 games over a two-year span. He’ll need to challenge for All-Pro honors in the years to come to have a real shot at the Hall. Missing out: DT DeForest BucknerAfter his 12-sack season with the 49ers in 2018, Buckner stayed remarkably consistent over the ensuing six years, generating between 6.5 and 9.5 sacks across his time with the Niners and Colts. He was on pace for a seven-sack campaign last season before suffering a herniated disk in his neck. Buckner is still unblockable at times on tape, but with so many high-end tackles competing for enshrinement, I’m not sure his peak has been dominant enough to get in. Jacksonville JaguarsWork to do: Edge Josh Hines-Allen, QB Trevor LawrenceLawrence has stretches where he looks like a future Hall of Famer and ones where he looks like he’s not an NFL starting quarterback. Unfortunately, sometimes we see those stretches in the same game. The good news is that Lawrence is coming off what was likely his best run since the second half of the 2022 season, with a 15-touchdown, one-interception stretch over the final six games of 2025 pushing the Jags into the playoffs and earning Lawrence a fifth-place finish in MVP balloting. If he builds on that and puts together a full season around that level in 2026, he could start seriously earning Hall consideration down the road. Tennessee TitansKeep it up: DT Jeffery SimmonsLong one of the most impactful interior rushers in the league on a snap-by-snap basis, Simmons leveled up and was positively unblockable for significant stretches in 2025. A hamstring injury was the only thing that slowed him last season, and even while missing the better part of three games, Simmons was still a deserving first-team All-Pro. This was a new high for the four-time Pro Bowler, but if the 29-year-old can be this player for a few more seasons, he has a real path to the Hall. Work to do: G Peter SkoronskiTennessee’s 2023 first-round pick, Skoronski has steadily improved over the course of his three years in the league and was unlucky to miss out on the Pro Bowl in the AFC last season. He has played every snap for the Titans over the past two years, and as the FTN Football Almanac noted, Skoronski was the only guard to rank in the top five for both pressure rate allowed and blown block rate. Another small step forward should start a steady stream of trips to the Pro Bowl. AFC North Baltimore RavensIn: RB Derrick Henry, QB Lamar JacksonAs a two-time MVP, Jackson should have no trouble waltzing into the Hall of Fame as one of the league’s most decorated players. He has been a full-time starter for only seven years, but remember that Terrell Davis made it into the Hall as a running back after what amounted to a four-year career as a starter, winning an MVP award along the way. Jackson hasn’t had the sort of playoff success Davis enjoyed during his run with the Broncos, but that’s the only hole you can poke in his résumé. Henry’s peak wasn’t quite as bright as Davis’ four-year run atop the NFL, but you can make a pretty reasonable case that he was the best back in football over a six-year span between 2019 and 2024. King Henry averaged nearly 103 rushing yards per game over that span. The only other back within 25 yards of that total was Jonathan Taylor. Henry has rarely made a huge dent as a receiver, but his ability to sustain those Titans offenses on his own and consistently create big plays with his underappreciated acceleration is going to get him into the Hall. Keep it up: S Kyle Hamilton, LB Roquan SmithHamilton is in the middle of a three-year run as the best safety in the league, and given what new coach Jesse Minter did with Derwin James Jr. in Los Angeles, Hamilton might be able to reach even higher in 2026. The 25-year-old has a case as one of the most versatile players at any position in the NFL, full stop. Even in a league filled with incredible athletes, watching Hamilton play center field on one snap and take on offensive linemen to make a key tackle against the run on the next is a dizzying experience. Hamilton is making it to the Hall of Fame if he stays healthy. Work to do: Edge Trey Hendrickson, CB Marlon Humphrey, WR Zay Flowers, DT Nnamdi MadubuikeA lot of potential candidates here, although Hendrickson and Humphrey will need to stack Pro Bowl appearances in their 30s to have a realistic shot of getting in. Madubuike emerged as one of the league’s best interior disruptors under Mike Macdonald in 2023, racking up 13 sacks and 33 knockdowns, but a serious neck injury derailed the defensive tackle’s 2025 season after two games. Flowers has improved in each of his pro campaigns and has back-to-back Pro Bowls to his name, and another step forward would land him recognition alongside the best wideouts in football. Missing out: TE Mark Andrews, Edge Calais Campbell, OT Ronnie StanleyI’d put Campbell in the Hall of Fame given his production at a position that is often difficult to measure, his versatility along the line of scrimmage, and the sheer length of time he has spent producing as a starting-caliber lineman. Campbell is not quite what he was at his peak, when he made six straight Pro Bowls and racked up 14.5 sacks for the 2017 Jaguars, but he was still beating linemen half his age and making plays for the Cardinals a year ago. Keep in mind that Campbell was on the Cardinals with Kurt Warner, who retired 17 years ago. Cincinnati BengalsKeep it up: WR Ja’Marr ChaseChase has been every bit as good as Justin Jefferson, his former teammate at LSU. But as Chase entered the NFL 12 months after Jefferson, his résumé is one year shorter. The 2021 No. 5 pick has started his career with five straight Pro Bowls and an Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and he has been a first-team All-Pro each of the past two seasons. He’s still only 26, and it would be no surprise if Chase had already clinched his spot in Canton before turning 30. Work to do: QB Joe Burrow, WR Tee Higgins, DT Dexter Lawrence IIBurrow also has a Hall of Fame case based on his level of play, but injuries are the concern here. He has now missed significant portions of three different seasons (2020, 2023 and 2025), a significant amount for a player who has been in the league for only six years. The Bengals also haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, and while that shouldn’t impact Burrow given that he has already made it to a Super Bowl, more playoff success wouldn’t hurt. Cleveland BrownsWork to do: LB Carson Schwesinger, Edge Jared Verse, CB Denzel WardWhile Myles Garrett has already done enough to earn enshrinement, Verse — who came to Cleveland in the Garrett trade this summer — is years of high play and a leveling up away from matching that. Starting his career with two Pro Bowl appearances and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award is of course good for his case. Schwesinger succeeded Verse as Defensive Rookie of the Year, and while off-ball linebackers can struggle to rack up the sort of stats that draw attention from voters, the 2025 second-rounder managed 2.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in his debut season. Pittsburgh SteelersIn: QB Aaron Rodgers, Edge T.J. WattRodgers requires no discussion. Watt, meanwhile, was solid as a rookie in 2017 and then emerged as a star in Year 2. He has made eight straight Pro Bowls, been a first-team All-Pro four times, and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. Watt is yet to land on the winning side of a playoff game, a product of the upheaval and mediocrity the Steelers have dealt with at quarterback for most of his career, but his regular-season résumé is sufficiently substantial to ensure that he will join J.J. Watt in becoming the second set of brothers in the Hall of Fame. On the cusp: DT Cameron Heyward, CB Jalen RamseyI covered Heyward’s case last week. Ramsey is an eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro who was one of the best players on a Super Bowl-winning defense in Los Angeles. Playing for at least four teams might not help Ramsey in contrast to players like Heyward and Watt, who have been with the same organization their entire careers. And Ramsey isn’t the sort of playmaker that we associate with HOF cornerbacks, which might make his case more difficult. But if Ramsey can manage another first-team All-Pro appearance or push his career deep into his 30s, he has a chance. Work to do: OT Troy Fautanu, C Zach Frazier, WR DK Metcalf, CB Joey Porter Jr.I’m excited about Fautanu and Frazier, the young offensive linemen in Pittsburgh. But at receiver, Metcalf is on the cusp of falling out of Hall of Fame consideration entirely, given that he’s almost 29 with only two Pro Bowls to his name. Metcalf’s 1,303-receiving yard season in 2020 also looks like a bit of an outlier since he hasn’t come within 150 yards of that total in any of his six other campaigns. The Hall of Very Good might be beckoning for the 6-foot-4 wideout, but let’s see what he does in 2026. AFC East Buffalo BillsIn: QB Josh AllenAllen would be the quarterback on the All-Decade first team if it were to be released tomorrow, although there would be at least some debate about instead awarding it to Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes. Every single All-Decade quarterback is enshrined in the Hall besides Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, who will be first-ballot entrants. Regardless, Allen will join them. Work to do: OT Spencer Brown, RB James Cook IIICook is still only 26 and has three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances under his belt. He’s fifth in rushing yards over that span, although he also leads all backs in fumbles over that stretch with 10. Cook has best-back-in-the-league potential if he protects the football and steals a few touchdowns away from Allen, but he’ll need to have a couple of seasons at that level to have a shot at the Hall. Miami DolphinsWork to do: RB De’Von AchaneA 1,838-scrimmage-yard season from Achane in 2025 earned the 2023 third-round pick his first Pro Bowl appearance. No one doubts Achane’s big-play ability, and he has averaged a robust 5.6 yards per carry since entering the league, but things might be tougher without Mike McDaniel, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Tua Tagovailoa. Achane’s chances of remaining hyperefficient would have been better with a trade somewhere else, but he’ll certainly be in line to get plenty of touches as the Dolphins rebuild. New England PatriotsKeep it up: CB Christian Gonzalez, QB Drake MayeComing within a hair of winning MVP in your second season doesn’t always lead to lifelong success; remember that Carson Wentz was in position to potentially win the MVP award in 2017 only for a late-season knee injury to derail the Eagles quarterback’s season and push voters into the arms of Tom Brady. With that being said, it’s hard to imagine that an early-career season as good as Maye’s in 2025 should hint at anything other than significant success on the horizon. Work to do: WR A.J. BrownCan the former Eagles star get back to the top of the wide receiver class? Brown was a second-team All-Pro three consecutive times between 2022 and 2024, but after a 1,003-yard season in 2025, he went without honors for the first time since 2021. I love the fit for Brown in New England, but at 29, history suggests that his best years might be in the rearview. Brown has never been a first-team All-Pro, which will hurt his candidacy, but if he can stay healthy and top 1,400 yards a couple more times, he should have a viable path. New York JetsWork to do: WR Garrett WilsonThe 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Wilson’s work on the path to enshrinement might entail trying to find a quarterback who will play at a high level and stick around for more than a year in New York. Playing with everyone from Zach Wilson to Chris Streveler, Wilson has made spectacular catches, but he is yet to top 1,200 receiving yards in a single season or make it to a Pro Bowl. He is capable of running off a bunch of consecutive Pro Bowl nods, but he has to get some help. Missing out: LB Demario DavisDavis belongs in the Hall of Free Agent Signings. It looked like the Jets draftee had settled in as a solid-but-unspectacular journeyman linebacker by his late 20s, but something clicked for Davis in his second stint with Gang Green in 2017. He signed with the Saints and proceeded to emerge as one of the best linebackers in the game, earning Pro Bowl or All-Pro nods in five consecutive seasons. Davis’ athleticism at age 37 isn’t what it used to be, understandably, but he’s still a willing run defender and a team leader. If the Hall considered only what players did in their 30s, Davis would get in. |
