The Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomed five new players to its ranks in a ceremony over the weekend - two of which were enshrined on their first year of eligibility - and there will be a few fresh faces on next year’s ballot that have a chance to don the golden jacket.
Drew Brees, a quarterback with the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints, and Larry Fitzgerald, a wide receiver with the Arizona Cardinals, were each immortalized during Saturday’s ceremonies in their first year of eligibility.
A player is deemed eligible to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio no earlier than five years after their final game in the league. A coach must wait at least one year after participating in their final game, and a contributor has no wait period to join. Any fan may nominate any qualified person who has been connected with pro football in any capacity simply by writing to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, after which a screening process will ultimately end in a vote by a 50-person panel.
The 2027 ballot will include a pair of players almost guaranteed to be elected in their first year of eligibility, and a few more whose potential induction could create some interesting discourse among voters and the media in the weeks leading up.
Very high chance for Gronkowski and Peterson to be inducted
Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski and running back Adrian Peterson, who represented many teams throughout his distinguished career, are almost a lock to be elected in their first year on the ballot.
Gronkowski, known for his goofy personality, was a veritable superstar teaming up with Tom Brady on the Patriots for the first nine years of his career.
The 6-foot-6 Gronkowski is widely considered one of the greatest to ever play his position, using stunning speed for his size and a strong blocking ability to rack up impressive numbers as a receiver and power a consistent rushing offence.
Gronkowski still holds the single-season record for touchdown catches by a tight end with 17 in 2011, was named a First-Team All-Pro four times in his 11-year career and won four Super Bowl titles.
He finished his career with 621 catches for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns.
Peterson spent his first 10 seasons in Minnesota after the Vikings took the Oklahoma star with the seventh-overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.
He was the last non-quarterback to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player in one of the greatest single-season performances of all time in 2012. Peterson, who suffered a torn ACL in November of 2011, was able to start the first week of the 2012 campaign just 10 months later and was a dominant force that entire campaign.
Peterson rushed for over 150 yards in six of the final eight games of the year, practically single-handedly willing the Vikings into the playoffs. He finished with 2,097 yards rushing that year, eight off the single-season record, and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Peterson also made stops with the Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks, and finished his career with 14,918 rushing yards and 120 rushing touchdowns (both fifth in league history).
One dark spot on Peterson’s resume that may impede his potential induction into the Hall of Fame is his lengthy suspension for a child abuse charge in 2014. He missed 15 games that year after the league suspended him in relation to a felony child abuse charge for using a switch to spank his then-four-year-old-son that resulted in cuts and bruises over the boy’s body.
Middling chances for Roethlisberger and Sherman
Compelling cases can be made for former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and defensive back Richard Sherman, and it remains to be seen which way the Hall of Fame voters will land on the two players.
Roethlisberger played the entirety of his 18-year career with the Steelers, leading the team to a Super Bowl title in his second year at the helm in 2005 and following that with a second title following the 2008 season.
Of the 13 quarterbacks with two-or-more Super Bowl titles, only Eli Manning (who is expected to be elected on the 2027 ballot) and former Raiders pivot Jim Plunkett are not currently enshrined in Canton.
Roethlisberger’s Hall of Fame resume is apparent as he ranks seventh all-time in passing yards (64,088) and ninth all-time in passing touchdowns (418).
But there are two factors working against the native of Lima, Ohio - he was never named a First- or even Second-Team All-Pro in his entire career, and he was suspended for four games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in 2010 bridging from a sexual assault allegation in a Georgia nightclub.
Sherman rose to stardom as a member of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom defence in the 2010s, locking down one half of the field as a cornerback for a team that ranked as the best scoring defence in the league an astounding four consecutive seasons from 2012-15.
He was named a First-Team All-Pro three times in his career, and played in three Super Bowls - winning the 2013 title over the Denver Broncos.
Sherman also made stops with the San Francisco 49ers and Buccaneers, and finished his career with 37 interceptions, 116 passes defensed, 495 tackles and five forced fumbles.
The native of Compton, Calif. was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2010s team, but may not be viewed as favourably as a recent first-ballot induction at his position, Darrelle Revis, who earned more All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in his shorter career.
Some other names with very low chances include Mack, Weddle, Brown, Newton and Whitworth
Alex Mack, a centre for 13 years with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and 49ers, may get in eventually, but his resume - seven-time pro Bowler, three-time Second-Team All-Pro and member of the Hall of Fame’s 2010s team - may not warrant first-year induction.
Eric Weddle spent his 12 NFL seasons with the Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams, but may also fall just short despite six Pro Bowl nods, two times being named a First-Team All-Pro and a member of the Hall of Fame 2010s team.
Antonio Brown was a veritable superstar and in the conversation for best wide receiver in the NFL for a large portion of his career with the Steelers, but the tumultuous end to his career - walking off the field shirtless in the middle of a game with the Buccaneers - and his countless off-the-field issues that included several arrests will likely prevent him from being enshrined someday. Brown was a four-time First-Team All-Pro and finished with 928 catches for 12,291 yards and 83 touchdowns in his career.
Cam Newton electrified the league the moment he was selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft, earning Rookie of the Year honours that year. He put together one of the best seasons in NFL history in 2015, when he threw for 3,837 yards with 35 touchdowns in addition to 636 yards rushing and 10 more touchdowns on the ground and led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a spot in the Super Bowl.
He took home MVP honours that year, but was not able to replicate that success later in his career and finished with just one First-Team All-Pro nod to his name with only 32,382 passing yards and 194 passing touchdowns.
Newton is likely to join a short list of quarterbacks to win an MVP and not be enshrined in the Hall of Fame as Ken Anderson, Joe Theismann, Boomer Esiason, Steve McNair and Rich Gannon comprise that list to this point.
Andrew Whitworth was a dependable left tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals and Rams throughout his 16-year career. Though he is generally viewed as one of the more beloved athletes in the NFL in the 21st century - he took home a Walter Payton Award in his final season in the league - his resume may be a little lacking. Whitworth was named to four Pro Bowls, and twice named First-Team All-Pro. He also won the 2021 Super Bowl with the Rams.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2027 will be announced in February, as part of the NFL Honors broadcast ahead of the Super Bowl.
