2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class unveiled

Freeney completed second to fellow 2024 inductee Julius Peppers in 2002 Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, however the spin-move maven confirmed what was forward by forcing 9 pressured fumbles as a rookie. The 11-year Colt earned 4 All-Pro honors, becoming a member of Mathis as one of the period’s defining pass-rushing duos. Freeney led the NFL with 16 sacks in 2004 and helped the Colts vanquish their Patriots hurdle en path to a Super Bowl XLI win two years later. The Colts gave Freeney a six-year, $72M extension in 2007.

The enduring sack artist managed to play 5 seasons following his Colts profession, spending time with the Chargers, Falcons, Cardinals, Seahawks and Lions. Serving as a delegated rusher close to the top of his profession, Freeney helped the Cardinals attain the 2015 NFC championship recreation, after an eight-sack season, and performed in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons.

Randy Gradishar, linebacker (1974-83)**

Widely seen as one of the very best linebackers of his period and one of the sport’s greatest tacklers of any interval, Gradishar strikes into the Hall by way of the senior committee route. Gradishar’s choice makes him the primary member of the Broncos’ “Orange Crush” protection to be enshrined in Canton. That defensive nucleus powered Denver to its first playoff berth, a season that included postseason wins over Nineteen Seventies superpowers Pittsburgh and Oakland en path to Super Bowl XII. The Broncos allowed simply 10.6 factors per recreation in 1977. Despite a number of rule modifications designed to extend offensive productiveness in 1978, the Broncos yielded simply 12.4 factors per contest that 12 months.

Gradishar performed his total profession in Denver, incomes 5 All-Pro honors. The above-referenced 1978 season featured maybe the very best crew in Steelers historical past, however Gradishar outflanked “Steel Curtain” cogs that season, being voted Defensive Player of the Year after serving to the 10-6 Broncos again to the playoffs. The off-ball linebacker added 20 interceptions and 4 defensive touchdowns in his profession.

Devin Hester, return specialist (2006-16)

Possibly the best return man in NFL historical past, Hester turns into one of the few true specialists within the Hall of Fame. Dabbling at cornerback and extensive receiver, Hester as an alternative offered the Bears great worth as a return specialist. Elite in each the kick- and punt-return capacities, Hester set an NFL report with 20 return touchdowns. Famously including a kick-return rating within the playoffs — to start Super Bowl XLI — Hester delivered one of the good rookie seasons in NFL historical past in 2006. The Bears second-round decide notched six return TDs within the common season — one approaching a blocked discipline purpose dash towards the Giants — and added No. 7 towards the Colts within the Super Bowl.

Hester’s 2007 season dismissed any fluke notions. He posted six extra return scores (4 on punts) throughout his NFL sophomore slate. While producing 17 extra TDs on offense, Hester by no means caught on as a pure wideout in Chicago. But he landed on two All-Decade groups for his return work. Eighteen of Hester’s 19 return TDs got here in Chicago. Hester’s 14 punt-return TDs are 4 greater than second place all time (Eric Metcalf) and he broke the report for mixed kick- and punt-return TDs in solely his sixth season (2011).

The Falcons gave Hester a three-year, $9M contract in 2014 earlier than he completed his profession splitting time with the Ravens and Seahawks in 2016. Seattle signed Hester simply earlier than the 2016 playoffs, utilizing him in each its postseason contests that 12 months.

Andre Johnson, extensive receiver (2003-16)

Not gathering a Super Bowl ring like the opposite two pure extensive receiver finalists on this 12 months’s class, Johnson turned well-known for placing up monster numbers regardless of not being gifted a top-tier quarterback. But Johnson operated as one of probably the most bodily imposing receivers in NFL historical past. The ex-Miami Hurricanes star’s numbers, largely compiled with David Carr and Matt Schaub concentrating on him, replicate that. Of Johnson’s seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons, 4 included 1,400-plus yards. Only Jerry Rice (six) and Julio Jones (5) produced extra such seasons. Johnson’s 14,185 profession yards rank eleventh all time.

The Texans selected Johnson third total in 2003, the second draft of their historical past. The 229-pound move catcher led the NFL in receptions twice and receiving yards in back-to-back years (2008, 2009). Neither of these seasons lifted the Texans to a playoff berth, however Johnson remained in place because the crew’s No. 1 wideout when the crew lastly booked its first two postseason cameos in 2011 and 2012. Johnson amassed 201 yards in two playoff video games in 2011, doing so regardless of Schaub’s harm leaving rookie T.J. Yates on the controls.

Johnson retired with probably the most video games performed in Texans historical past, spending 12 years with the crew. Johnson signed two extensions spanning at the least seven years in size, incomes greater than $108M all through his NFL run. He completed a 14-year profession with one season apiece in Indianapolis and Tennessee. Johnson is the Texans’ first Hall of Famer.

Steve McMichael, defensive deal with (1980-94)**

Part of the storied 1985 Bears’ protection, McMichael performed 13 of his 15 NFL seasons in Chicago. A Patriots draftee, McMichael discovered himself within the Windy City forward of his second season. The Patriots waived the long run D-line mainstay throughout the 1981 offseason. Teaming with fellow Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Richard Dent (together with William “The Refrigerator” Perry) on Chicago’s D-line, McMichael earned 4 All-Pro honors whereas serving to a Bears crew — one which noticed Jim McMahon accidents impede paths to Super Bowls — turn into a perennial contender.

The Bears did, of course, break via as champions in 1985. That 18-1 crew is on the brief record as these within the working for the very best ever, permitting solely 12.4 factors per recreation and outscoring its playoff opposition 91-10. McMichael began 16 video games for the ’85 crew and suited up each week for an ’86 Bears protection that statistically outflanked its famed predecessor. Better identified by some as half of WCW’s Four Horsemen faction throughout his second profession, “Mongo” completed his gridiron run with 95 sacks (three of them safeties), closing out his NFL stick with the Packers in 1994. McMichael’s 92.5 sacks with the Bears are second in franchise historical past.

Julius Peppers, defensive finish (2002-18)*

Five years after retiring, Peppers stays fourth on the NFL’s all-time sack record. The former Panthers, Bears and Packers move rusher completed a half-sack shy of Kevin Greene for third. While Greene wanted to attend a bit earlier than enshrinement, voters will ship Peppers to Canton on his first strive. The former North Carolina two-sport standout got here into the league with excessive expectations, going off the 2002 draft board second total. He justified these, remaining a productive move rusher into his late 30s. No energetic sack artist is inside 35 of Peppers’ profession complete.

Peppers collected six All-Pro honors, three as a first-teamer, and did fairly effectively on the contract entrance. Peppers’ rookie contract spanned seven years (and $46M, earlier than the 2011 CBA launched the slot system), and the Panthers stored him off the market with a franchise tag forward of Year 8. During the uncapped 2010, Peppers landed a then-record-setting DE pact from the Bears (six years, $84M). He performed 4 years on that deal, and after the Bears made the 6-foot-6 rusher a cap casualty in 2014, Peppers made an affect for 3 playoff-bound Packers groups within the mid-2010s.

While this may be thought-about an enormous evening for the Bears — because of the enshrinements of three former gamers — Peppers performed eight years with the Panthers, returning dwelling to shut out his 17-year run. Fifteen years after he gained Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in Charlotte, the North Carolina native re-signed together with his hometown crew. Peppers’ penultimate season introduced a tenth double-digit sack exhibiting; he totaled 11 at age 37 to assist the Panthers to their most up-to-date playoff berth.

Patrick Willis, linebacker (2007-14)

Willis didn’t overstay his welcome within the NFL, retiring after his age-29 season. The dominant inside linebacker didn’t lack for accolades in his eight-year profession, racking up six All-Pro honors — together with 5 first-team distinctions. The 49ers nabbed Willis within the 2007 first spherical and turned him unfastened. Although San Francisco didn’t kind the Jim Harbaugh–Vic Fangio pairing till Willis’ fifth season, he flashed continuously as a younger participant and was regarded by many because the NFL’s greatest linebacker for an prolonged interval.

The Ole Miss alum picked up Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim and have become the uncommon participant to land that award whereas incomes first-team All-Pro honors. Willis tallied a career-high 174 tackles — together with a staggering 136 solo — as a rookie to offer a sign of his capabilities. Willis remained in his prime when Harbaugh and Fangio arrived. While Harbaugh’s arrival elevated Alex Smith after which Colin Kaepernick, Willis’ presence represented a key half of the 49ers’ blueprint that produced three straight NFC championship video games.

Willis teamed with NaVorro Bowman to kind one of the good linebacking pairs in fashionable NFL historical past. Seeing every soar to the first-team All-Pro perch, the 49ers went second-second-third on protection from 2011-13. After struggling a foot harm halfway via the 2014 season, Willis opted to name it quits.

* = denotes first 12 months of eligibility
** = denotes senior candidate