After the Pro Football Hall of Fame It showed significant changes Going into the election process on Friday, the question now is how things will work out in practice. The Class of 2027 will be the first team to be selected under the new rules, which will reduce the selection committee from 50 members to 25 plus three non-voting members and eliminate the threshold for players who have been retired for at least 25 years.
Units will now consist of three to seven inductors. The selection pool consists of 13 players, one coach and one contributor for a total of 15 finalists. Candidates who receive at least 20 out of 25 votes (80 percent) are approved that year.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the team that will be in the mix for the 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Players
First year headlines
RB Adrian Peterson, T Rob Gronkowski, KB Ben Roethlisberger, CB Richard Sherman.
Each of these players was one of the best in their main position. Peterson and Gronkowski, in particular, rank among the best at the position in NFL history.
Peterson’s numbers speak volumes, but the context surrounding them shows his dominance. All things considered, Peterson’s 2012 season is one of the greatest seasons by a player in league history. He tore his ACL and MCL in Week 16 of the 2011 season, then returned in 2012 to rush for 2,097 yards and lead the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs. He won MVP that year, the only non-quarterback to win MVP since 2007. Peterson had a journeyman late in his career, but for most of his time in the NFL, he was elite and one of the league’s best running backs.
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Gronkowski played nine years before his first retirement at the age of 29, and although injuries were a major factor, he was dominant during that time to be considered for the Hall of Fame. In all, Gronkowski played 11 seasons and was a four-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Super Bowl champion. At his peak, Gronkowski’s combination of size and speed made him a focal point of the offense in both the run and passing games.
In an era in the AFC where Roethlisberger would have folded under the dominance of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, he established himself as another AFC quarterback of that era, despite being the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. From 2003 to 2011, Brady, Manning or Roethlisberger represented the AFC in the Super Bowl, with Roethlisberger going 2-1 on the biggest stage, making it three times. He didn’t always have great numbers, but his big frame and physical play made him a regular force out of the pocket.
Cornerbacks don’t have a very extended prime, and that will be a major point of discussion regarding Sherman’s eligibility on the first ballot. There aren’t many defenses in league history that earn a nickname, but the Seattle Seahawks’ Legion of Boom was dominant, and Sherman was one of the main features of that unit. Between Sherman and Darrelle Revis for a while in the game, who was the best cornerback in the game. Revis is inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023, his first year of eligibility.
Last year’s finalists
OT Willie Anderson, WR Torry Holt, TE Jason Witten, LB/DE Terrell Suggs, OG Jahri Evans, RB Frank Gore, QB Eli Manning, WR Reggie Wayne, DT Kevin Williams, S Darren Woodson, OL Marshall Yanda.
When Hall of Fame voters meet in person at the Super Bowl in February, each voter is responsible for narrowing the 15 finalists down to seven before casting their votes for six individuals. With that formula, players in this category will get votes, but how those votes are distributed will be very subjective. Players like Willie Anderson and Torey Holt have now been knocking on the door. Some players, such as Eli Manning, should be considered for their signings after the season, even if they are not permanent or recurring. Other players, such as Gore, are considered for longevity and overall body of work, even if they don’t reach the top.
Other players
S Rodney Harrison, DE Robert Mathis, WR Steve Smith Sr., RB Fred Taylor, RB Earl Thomas, DT Vince Wilfork, QB Cam Newton, WR Antonio Brown, OT Andrew Whitworth.
Eliminating the Top Candidates category could seriously hurt players like Ken Anderson who were among the top three finalists last year. Instead of taking a separate route to Canton, players who have been retired for at least 25 years will compete in the same pool as other eligible players. Last year’s top finalists were Roger Craig, Elsie Greenwood and Anderson, with Craig being the only one selected. Starting this year, Greenwood, first-year qualifiers like Newton and everyone in between will compete for the same 13 finalists.
Coach
Bill Belichick
Last year, Belichick was the lone finalist in the coaching category, with Tom Coughlin, Mike Holgren, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Mike Shanahan among the semifinalists. As the voting showed last year, you can never say never, but it would be a distinct shame if any other coach were elected ahead of Belichick, especially after his omission caused so much structural change in the Hall of Fame selection process. The longtime New England Patriots legend will be a slam-dunk option in the category this year, but last year’s finalists will be in the interesting conversation in 2028 and beyond, along with a few other names.
Contributors
Robert Kraft, Bud Adams, Art Rooney Jr., Frank Kilroy, Jim Tunney.
In addition to the standard definition of contribution to the game, this category has undergone some adjustments, including playing and coaching. For example, if a person is a decent player but doesn’t qualify for fame but goes on to have a successful career as a general manager or broadcaster, their playing career now counts as part of their contributing qualifications. Other individuals associated with the league, such as referees, also fall into this category.
