2027 HOF ballot

Bell and AB would've made it if they weren't knuckleheads.

 

The first five in that list are all worthy of 1st ballot but then when you look at Mack and Whitworth and Weddle that's going to be tough not to pick seven of them for sure.

 

I'm going to say the first four plus Whitworth.

 

I totally miss counted and added Newton into that 1st five. I really think Brown's numbers alone should get him but again the self destruction might put voters off him on the first ballot.

 

Ben Roethlisberger is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He might not receive the most votes in his Hall of Fame class, as there are a small amount of voters who just don't like him and wish to make him wait / will never vote for him.

Antonio Brown should eventually get in too — if he ever stops adding to the police blotter off the field.

Pro football hall of fame rules: A player is elected if they receive at least 40 yes votes ( 80% ) of 50.

Gerry Dulac (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) is the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee voter who represents the Pittsburgh Steelers / Pittsburgh market. He is the designated media representative for the city on the 50-person Selection Committee.

Dulac will get a chance to make the case to the board of voters when the finalist names are called.

 

Can't say I disagree with Sanders here. And whether it was his voice or others, the selection process was refined. But I think if they were truly serious about making it exclusive then there should be a maximum number of candidates, not minimum:


The selection process has undergone significant changes in recent years. In 2022, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders loudly expressed his feelings on the exclusivity, or lack thereof, of the Hall of Fame. Sanders said the honor had become a “free-for-all” and was no longer reserved for the cream of the crop, or what he called “game-changers.”


Under the new selection parameters, the minimum number for a Hall of Fame class is four individuals. The Class of 2025 consisted of just four inductees, making it the smallest class since 2005, when there were also only four inductees.

The modern-era candidates, who are only players, are in their own category. The requirements to be nominated are that a player must be at least five years removed from playing in the NFL and have received at least one generally recognized postseason honor, such as an All-Pro selection, Pro Bowl invitation or annual award, among other qualifications.

There are a number of voting stages to narrow down the modern-era candidates. The first vote reduces the initial list of nominees to 50. That gets narrowed down to 25 semifinalists, followed by a vote to 15 finalists.

 

All of this is kind of why I care less and less about the HOF basically every year.

It's just a popularity contest. And I just don't believe that the voters are more knowledgeable or less political than normal fans. It's funny, because I respect that Peter King made his votes public (I think that should be required for all voters). But having seen how he voted (particularly re: Troy) basically destroyed any faith I had in the system.

But I guess it's a nice tourist attraction for the league.