Nearly 200 former NFL players will get a chance at induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next summer. On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame revealed its list of 183 senior players who will be considered for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, as part of the 2025 induction class.
Over the next several weeks, the Hall of Fame's Senior Screening Committee will whittle the list down to 50 players before the Blue-Ribbon Committee selects three senior players as finalists for possible induction.
To receive consideration as a senior nominee, a player must have played at least 25 years ago, had at least five years of service and at least one recognized postseason honor.
Courtesy of the Hall of Fame, here's a look at the entire list of senior nominees. I also included my prediction of the three finalists that might have the best chance at induction in 2025.
QUARTERBACKS(16): Ken Anderson, Charlie Conerly, Boomer Esiason, Roman Gabriel, James "Shack" Harris, Bobby Hebert, Jeff Hostetler, Ron Jaworski, Jack Kemp, Dave Krieg, Daryle Lamonica, Don Meredith, Jim Plunkett, Phil Simms, Joe Theismann, Doug Williams
RUNNING BACKS(25): Alan Ameche, Ottis Anderson, Jon Arnett, Larry Brown, Timmy Brown, Earnest Byner, Roger Craig, John David Crow, Clem Daniels, Hewritt Dixon, Chuck Foreman, Willie Galimore, Pat Harder, Marv Hubbard, Cecil Isbell, Daryl Johnston, Verne Lewellen, Christian Okoye, Bill Osmanski, Glenn Presnell, Mark van Eeghen, Herschel Walker, Byron "Whizzer" White, Sammy Winder, Paul "Tank" Younger
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS(31): Mark Bavaro, Gino Cappelletti, Raymond Chester, Todd Christensen, Mark Clayton, Gary Collins, Isaac Curtis, Carroll Dale, Lavvie Dilweg, Boyd Dowler, Henry Ellard, Jimmy Giles, Billie Howton, Harold Jackson, Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, Brent Jones, Homer Jones, Ken Kavanaugh, Stanley Morgan, Art Powell, Mike Quick, Bob Scarpitto, Sterling Sharpe, Del Shofner, Pat Studstill, John Taylor, Lionel Taylor, Otis Taylor, Rick Upchurch, Bobby Walston, Billy Wilson
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN(28): Harris Barton, Dick Barwegan, Ed Budde, Randy Cross, Ray Donaldson, Ox Emerson, Bill Fralic, Gale Gillingham, Kevin Glover, Charles "Buckets" Goldenberg, Wayne Hawkins, Jay Hilgenberg, Chris Hinton, Joe Jacoby, Mike Kenn, Bob Kuechenberg, George Kunz, Don Mosebar, Ralph Neely, Nate Newton, John Niland, Dick Schafrath, Luis Sharpe, Walt Sweeney, Fuzzy Thurston, Jim Tyrer, Ed White, Al Wistert
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN(27): Lyle Alzado, George Andrie, Al "Bubba" Baker, Roger Brown, Ray Childress, Ben Davidson, Mark Gastineau, Bill Glass, L.C. Greenwood, Rosey Grier, Rich Jackson, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Sean Jones, Tom Keating, Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, Jim Marshall, Leonard Marshall, Harvey Martin, Leslie O'Neal, Michael Dean Perry, Lou Rymkus, Tom Sestak, Otis Sistrunk, Fred Smerlas, Bubba Smith, Bill Stanfill, Greg Townsend
LINEBACKERS(22): Carl Banks, Maxie Baughan, Bill Bergy, Dan Conners, Mike Curtis, Joe Fortunato, Larry Grantham, Tom Jackson, Vaughn Johnson, Lee Roy Jordan, Seth Joyner, Wilber Marshall, Rod Martin, Clay Matthews Jr., Karl Mecklenberg, Matt Millen, Tommy Nobis, Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds, Andy Russell, Pat Swilling, Darryl Talley, Phil Villapiano
DEFENSIVE BACKS(28): Dick Anderson, Bobby Boyd, Joey Browner, Deron Cherry, Nolan Cromwell, Thom Darden, Don Doll, Pat Fischer, Dave Grayson, Cornell Green, Merton Hanks, Lester Hayes, Albert Lewis, Terry McDaniel, Tim McDonald, Eddie Meador, Jim Norton, Lemar Parrish, Jimmy Patton, Jake Scott, Dennis Smith, Jack Tatum, Roosevelt Taylor, Mike Wagner, Everson Walls, Dave Whitsell, Fred Williamson, Louis Wright
PUNTERS/KICKERS(4):Jim Bakken, Norm Johnson, Sean Landeta, Nick Lowery
SPECIAL TEAMS(2): Mel Gray, Steve Tasker
Senior player finalist prediction
WR Sterling Sharpe: The older brother of Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, Sterling was one of the NFL's best receivers during the late '80s and early 1990s before an injury prematurely ended his career at age 29. During his seven-year career, Sharpe -- who played his entire career with the Packers (1988-94), was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He was on the receiving end of Brett Favre's game-winning touchdown pass against the Lions in the 1993 NFC playoffs.
RB Roger Craig: The versatile Craig was a key cog in the 49ers' offensive machine during the 1990s. He was the NFL's first player to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season, doing so in 1985. Earlier that year, Craig became the first player to score three touchdowns in the Super Bowl in San Francisco's blowout win over Miami. Craig won three Super Bowls with the 49ers, was the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 1988 and is a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1980s.
DE L.C. Greenwood: Ten of Greenwood's teammates are already in Canton, so that fact may continue to keep Greenwood out of Canton. The voters, though, might look past that and focus more on Greenwood's immense contribution to the Steelers' dynasty during the 1970s. Greenwood, a six-time Pro Bowler and member of the NFL's All-Decade team of the 1970s, retired following the 1981 season as the Steelers' career sack leader. He still has the record for most sacks in a single Super Bowl; Greenwood took down then-Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach four times in Pittsburgh's Super Bowl X win over Dallas.
