The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 167 modern-era nominees for the 2025 induction class on Wednesday, including 16 first-timers.
Among the first-time nominees are running back Marshawn Lynch, quarterback Eli Manning, linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker Adam Vinatieri. Four offensive lineman are among the 16 nominees. Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who died in 2021 of seizure disorder complications at 33 years old, is a posthumous nominee for the first time.
Let's take a look at the résumés of some of the notable names revealed on Wednesday.
Lynch's Hall of Fame résumé
Lynch was the most punishing running back of his era while starring in his prime for the Seattle Seahawks. He played 12 NFL seasons for the Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders, making five Pro Bowls and two All-NFL teams. He twice led the NFL in rushing touchdowns won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks after the 2013 season.
Lynch is a member of the Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team for the 2010s. He ranks 29th on the NFL's all-time rushing list with 10,413 yards and 17th all-time with 85 rushing touchdowns.
Manning's Hall of Fame résumé
Manning played 16 NFL seasons, all of them as the quarterback for the New York Giants. If he makes the Hall, he'll do so on the strength of his two Super Bowl rings. Manning quarterbacked the Giants to Super Bowls victories after the 2007 and 2011 seasons in upsets over Tom Brady's New England Patriots.
The Giants beat the top-seeded and previously undefeated Patriots as a No. 5 seed in Super Bowl XLII in one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. Manning's fourth-seeded Giants then advanced again from the wild-card round after the 2011 postseason to beat Brady's top-seeded Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
The case for Manning outside of his two rings is not strong. He was not among the great quarterbacks of his era that include Brady, his brother Peyton, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Manning's Giants were mediocre in the 14 seasons that they didn't win a Super Bowl, a span that didn't include another playoff win. They finished 117-117 in regular-season games that Manning started.
Manning made four Pro Bowls and no All-Pro teams and never received a vote for league MVP. In an era of increased passing, Manning ranks in the top 12 in both touchdowns (366) and interceptions (244) thrown. He led the league in interceptions thrown three times.
Adam Vinatieri
Vinatieri retired as arguably the greatest kicker of all time. There's no argument that his collection of high-stakes kicks is the best of all-time.
Vinatieri played 24 NFL seasons with the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and a fourth with the Colts. He's a three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection who led the league in field-goal accuracy three times and connected on 83.8% of his kicks for his career. He's the NFL's all-time leading scorer ahead of Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen.
But it's Vinatieri's postseason heroics that make his case. The story of the Patriots dynasty cannot be written without featuring Vinatieri, who kicked game-winning field goals in the finals seconds of two Super Bowls.
Vinatieri helped jump-start the Patriots dynasty with a 48-yard field goal as time expired to beat the St. Louis Rams, 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Patriots wouldn't have made that Super Bowl had Vinatieri not successfully kicked a 45-yard goal in the wind and snow with 1:11 remaining in regulation of the infamous "tuck rule game." Vinatieri then hit a 23-yarder in the same frigid conditions to secure a 16-13 overtime victory over the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Two years later, Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard game-winner in the final seconds of New England's 32-29 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIIII.
Luke Kuechly
Kuechly lacks the Super Bowl hardware of the above nominees. But he's one of the greatest defenders of his generation and arguably the greatest player in Carolina Panthers franchise history despite a career that spanned just eight seasons.
The ninth pick of the 2012 draft, Kuechly won Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first NFL season while leading the NFL in tackles. A year later, he was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. He made Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams that season and every year for the rest of his career. He was named first-team All-Pro five times and twice led the league in tackles.
He's a member of the Hall of Fame's All-Decade team for the 2010s. Keuchly would have surely piled up more accolades, but he retired at 28 years old after a career that also featured multiple head injuries and surgeries.
Here's the full class of first-tie nominees for the Hall of Fame:
QuarterbackEli Manning
Running backMarshawn LynchDarren Sproles
Wide receiverDemaryius Thomas
Tight endVernon DavisDelanie Walker
Offensive lineTravis FrederickRyan KalilJJoe StaleyMarshal Yanda
LinebackerLuke KuechlyTerrell Suggs
Defensive backsEarl ThomasAqib TalibAntoine Bethea
KickerAdam Vinatieri