That time of the year.
My 15 for the next stage
- Eric Allen, CB – 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2021-23) NO
- Jared Allen, DE – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2021-23) YES
- Willie Anderson, T – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2021-23) NO
- Ronde Barber, CB/S – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2018-2023) YES
- Anquan Boldin, WR – 2003-09 Arizona Cardinals, 2010-12 Baltimore Ravens, 2013-15 San Francisco 49ers, 2016 Detroit Lions | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2022-23) NO
- Henry Ellard, WR – 1983-1993 Los Angeles Rams, 1994-98 Washington Redskins, 1998 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2023) NO
- Jahri Evans, G – 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2023) YES
- London Fletcher, LB – 1998-2001 St. Louis Rams, 2002-06 Buffalo Bills, 2007-2013 Washington Redskins | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2023) NO
- Dwight Freeney, DE – 2002-2012 Indianapolis Colts, 2013-14 San Diego Chargers, 2015 Arizona Cardinals, 2016 Atlanta Falcons, 2017 Seattle Seahawks, 2017 Detroit Lions | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2023) YES
- James Harrison, LB – 2002-2012, 2014-17 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2013 Cincinnati Bengals, 2017 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2023) YES
- Rodney Harrison, S – 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2021, 2023) NO
- Devin Hester, PR/KR/WR – 2006-2013 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2022-23) NO
- Torry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars | (Times as a Semifinalist: 9 – 2015-2023) YES
- Andre Johnson, WR – 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Tennessee Titans | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2022-23) YES
- Albert Lewis, CB – 1983-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-98 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2013, 2023) NO
- Robert Mathis, DE/LB – 2003-2016 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2022-23) NO
- Darrelle Revis, CB – 2007-2012, 2015-16 New York Jets, 2013 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2014 New England Patriots, 2017 Kansas City Chiefs | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2023) YES
- Steve Smith Sr., WR – 2001-2013 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2022-23) YES
- Fred Taylor, RB – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2020-23) NO
- Joe Thomas, T – 2007-2017 Cleveland Browns | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2023) YES
- Zach Thomas, LB – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2019-2023) YES
- Hines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2017-2023) NO
- DeMarcus Ware, LB/DE – 2005-2013 Dallas Cowboys, 2014-16 Denver Broncos | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2022-23) YES
- Ricky Watters, RB – 1992-94 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-97 Philadelphia Eagles, 1998-2001 Seattle Seahawks | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2020, 2022-23) YES
- Reggie Wayne, WR – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2020-23) YES
- Vince Wilfork, DT – 2004-2014 New England Patriots, 2015-16 Houston Texans | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2022-23) NO
- Patrick Willis, LB – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2020-23) YES
- Darren Woodson, S – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2015, 2017, 2019-2023) NO
Eli deserves it.
There is something to be admired and respected about accumulation stats.
Similar to baseball, if you reach 3000 hits, you deserve enshrinement.
You start 230 consecutive games, throw for 50,000 yards, and win 2 Super Bowls and you are in. His 3:2 TD:Int career ratio isn’t great, but it is not a barrier to entry into Canton.
Eli’s rate stats are definitely marginal for the hall at best. But he was always available for his team over a LONG career. That and his locker room leadership count. Moves him from borderline but no to borderline but yes IMHO.
Also WTF with Ronde Barber for the Hall? I don’t think so.
3 time 1st team AP, 2 time 2nd team
NFL 2000s All Decade team
5 time Pro Bowl
only player with of 45+ Ints, 25+ Sacks
Most consecutive starts by a DB
Eli deserves the Hall for being QB of two teams that beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, and stopping them from being 19-0.
Fair enough. I didn’t remember him as being that good. But, then again, I never paid that much attention to the Bucs.
What will get Eli in the HOF is his MNF broadcasts with Peyton
With more than 1000 wins and an NBA championship I think Doc Rivers is destined for the HoF.
Many Rivers To Cross.
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Matt Ryan in the HOF??? I say no. I would rank these guys similarly but I think 2 SB’s makes Eli much more likely to get in than Rivers and Ryan. Roethlisberger is a shoe in IMO. He made a lot of big plays in big games. Might even be ahead of Wilson at this point. Russ is on a trajectory to not make the HOF. The top 4 are first ballot obviously.
I posted it two years ago, Wilson trajectory was much different. Always an interesting debate if a poor end of career can change your HOF qualifications
I also posted this nearly 2 years ago. Clearly Wilson has not kept playing as expected. He’s been on a steep decline since then. He could still make the HOF if he returns to form, but the way things look now he’s probably a no
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Matt Ryan has 62K passing yards and an MVP. He is ahead slightly ahead of Rivers.
i agree with that ordering but would put both behind the line. they are both very good. but the accumulation is a function of their era. neither has the extra sizzle IMO.
Avoiding the accumulated stats. HOFm as per Football-reference. QBR since 2006
Ryan 1 AP, 4 PB, 0 SB, MVP (only yr getting votes), Rating 94.7, QBR 64.8, HOFm 104.86
Rivers 0 AP, 8 PB, 0 SB, MVP (top 6 twice), Rating 95.2, QBR 61.4, HOFm 98.06
Eli 0 AP, 4 PB, 2 SB, MVP 0, Rating 84.1, QBR 50.3, HOFm 85.01
Wilson 0 AP, 9 PB, 1 SB, MVP (3 times top 4), Rating 100.5, QBR 63.2, HOFm 80.35
Pro Bowls are always tough since you do not know if they were selected to the original team or added later when someone pulled out, like the guy in the Super Bowl. Right now, the ordering above is right. However, guys not in that are coming would include Brady, Big Ben, Rodgers, and Brees. All were better than the 4 above.
I left them out on purpose, there is no debate. I also left out Roeth.
football-reference also has an AV - I don’t like it as a pure additive, as career length adds so much.
The have a weighted average, that takes 100% of the best year, 90% 2nd, 80% 3rd…
But it seems if two years have the same AV, they count both at the same level, which ends up totally unfair.
So I did the same calculation looking at only 10 best years.
Ryan 92.0; Rivers 92.3, Wilson 92.9, Eli 77.6
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Eli has the NY factor which should count as zero (but doesn’t), and the 2 Super Bowl runs which should give a boost.
My order: Ben/…/Ryan/Wilson/Rivers/Eli; I have no problem with Wilson ahead of Ryan.
Wilson was ridiculous and feared. I was never afraid of Eli.
Number of Pro Bowls is only slightly meaningful.
MVP votes for football are meaningful because the voters only vote for 1 person. Maybe one needs to get more than 1 vote to be meaningful. These MVP votes are worth a lot more than baseball. I only care about MLB MVP votes if someone finished 2nd or 3rd, meaning he had an MVP-type year.