As part of tonight’s NFL Honors program, the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has been revealed. It consists of modern-era standouts and two players chosen by the senior committee. Here is the full breakdown of this year’s honorees:
Dwight Freeney, defensive end (2002-17)
In his second year as a finalist, Freeney received enough support to be voted into the Hall. One of the quickest edge rushers in NFL history, Freeney will reach Canton with 125.5 career sacks. That total ranks 18th in NFL history. The Colts made Freeney their pass-rushing anchor during Peyton Manning‘s extended run as their franchise centerpiece. While the team eventually found a bookend in Robert Mathis, it chose Freeney 11th overall in the 2002 draft with a hope of building a pass defense around the Syracuse alum. Freeney delivered and will book a Hall of Fame nod on his second try.
Freeney finished second to fellow 2024 inductee Julius Peppers in 2002 Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, but the spin-move maven showed what was ahead by forcing nine forced fumbles as a rookie. The 11-year Colt earned four All-Pro honors, joining Mathis as one of the era’s defining pass-rushing duos. Freeney led the NFL with 16 sacks in 2004 and helped the Colts vanquish their Patriots hurdle en route to a Super Bowl XLI win two years later. The Colts gave Freeney a six-year, $72MM extension in 2007.
The enduring sack artist managed to play five seasons following his Colts career, spending time with the Chargers, Falcons, Cardinals, Seahawks and Lions. Serving as a designated rusher near the end of his career, Freeney helped the Cardinals reach the 2015 NFC championship game, after an eight-sack season, and played in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons.
Randy Gradishar, linebacker (1974-83)**
Widely viewed as one of the best linebackers of his era and one of the game’s best tacklers of any period, Gradishar moves into the Hall via the senior committee route. Gradishar’s selection makes him the first member of the Broncos’ “Orange Crush” defense to be enshrined in Canton. That defensive nucleus powered Denver to its first playoff berth, a 1977 season that included postseason wins over 1970s superpowers Pittsburgh and Oakland en route to Super Bowl XII. The Broncos allowed just 10.6 points per game in 1977. Despite multiple rule changes designed to increase offensive productivity in 1978, the Broncos yielded just 12.4 points per contest that year.
A first-round pick out of Ohio State, Gradishar played his entire career in Denver and earned five All-Pro honors. The above-referenced 1978 season featured perhaps the best team in Steelers history, but Gradishar outflanked “Steel Curtain” cogs by being voted as Defensive Player of the Year after helping the 10-6 Broncos back to the playoffs. The off-ball linebacker added 20 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns in his career.
Devin Hester, return specialist (2006-16)
Almost definitely the greatest return man in NFL history, Hester becomes one of the few true specialists in the Hall of Fame. Dabbling at cornerback and wide receiver, Hester provided the Bears tremendous value as a return specialist. Elite in both the kick- and punt-return capacities, Hester set an NFL record with 20 return touchdowns. Famously adding a kick-return score in the playoffs — to begin Super Bowl XLI — Hester delivered one of the great rookie seasons in NFL history. The Bears second-round pick notched six return TDs in the regular season — one coming on a blocked field goal sprint against the Giants — and added No. 7 against the Colts in the Super Bowl.
Hester’s 2007 season dismissed any fluke notions; he posted six more return scores (four on punts) during his NFL sophomore slate. While producing 17 more TDs on offense over the course of his career, Hester never caught on as a pure wideout in Chicago. But he landed on two All-Decade teams for his return work. Eighteen of Hester’s 19 return TDs came in Chicago. Hester’s 14 punt-return TDs are four more than second place all time (Eric Metcalf); he broke the record for combined kick- and punt-return TDs in only his sixth season (2011).
The Falcons gave Hester a three-year, $9MM contract in 2014; he finished his career splitting time with the Ravens and Seahawks in 2016. Seattle signed Hester just before the 2016 playoffs, using him in both its postseason contests that year.
Andre Johnson, wide receiver (2003-16)
Not collecting a Super Bowl ring like the other two pure wide receiver finalists in this year’s class (Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne), Johnson became well known for putting up monster numbers despite not being gifted a top-tier quarterback. But Johnson operated as one of the most physically imposing receivers in NFL history. The ex-Miami Hurricanes star’s numbers, largely compiled with David Carr and Matt Schaub targeting him, reflect that. Of Johnson’s seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons, four included 1,400-plus. Only Jerry Rice (six) and Julio Jones (five) produced more such seasons. Johnson’s 14,185 career yards rank 11th all time.
The Texans chose Johnson third overall in 2003, the second draft in their history. The 229-pound pass catcher led the NFL in receptions twice and receiving yards in back-to-back years (2008, 2009). Neither of those seasons lifted the Texans to a playoff berth, but Johnson remained in place as the team’s No. 1 wideout when the team finally booked its first two postseason cameos in 2011 and 2012. Johnson amassed 201 yards in two playoff games in 2011, doing so despite Schaub’s injury leaving rookie T.J. Yates at the controls.
Johnson is the Texans’ first Hall of Famer. This is fitting, as he retired with the most games played in Texans history. The longtime WR1 spent 12 years with the team. Johnson signed two Houston extensions spanning at least seven years in length, earning more than $108MM throughout his NFL run. He finished a 14-year career with one season apiece in Indianapolis and Tennessee.
Steve McMichael, defensive tackle (1980-94)**
Part of the storied 1985 Bears’ defense, McMichael played 13 of his 15 NFL seasons in Chicago. A Patriots third-round draftee, McMichael found himself in the Windy City ahead of his second season. The Patriots waived the future D-line mainstay during the 1981 offseason. Teaming with fellow Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Richard Dent (along with William “The Refrigerator” Perry) on Chicago’s D-line, McMichael earned four All-Pro honors while helping a Bears team — one that saw Jim McMahon injuries impede paths to Super Bowls — become a perennial contender.
The Bears did, of course, break through as champions in 1985. That 18-1 team is on a short list of those in the running for the best ever, allowing only 12.4 points per game and outscoring its playoff opposition 91-10. McMichael started 16 games for the ’85 team and suited up every week for an ’86 Bears defense that statistically outflanked its famed predecessor. Better known by some as part of WCW’s Four Horsemen faction during his wrestling career, “Mongo” finished his gridiron run with 95 sacks (three of them safeties). McMichael closed out his NFL stay with the Packers in 1994. His 92.5 sacks with the Bears are second in franchise history.
Julius Peppers, defensive end (2002-18)*
Five years after retiring, Peppers remains fourth on the NFL’s all-time sack list (159.5). The former Panthers, Bears and Packers pass rusher finished a half-sack shy of Kevin Greene for third. While Greene needed to wait a bit before enshrinement, voters will send Peppers to Canton on his first try. The former North Carolina two-sport standout came into the league with high expectations, going off the 2002 draft board second overall. He justified those, remaining a productive pass rusher into his late 30s. No active sack artist is within 35 of Peppers’ career total. He is among the rare players to land on two All-Decade teams.
Peppers collected six All-Pro honors, three as a first-teamer, and did quite well on the contract front. Peppers’ rookie contract spanned seven years (and $46MM, before the 2011 CBA introduced the slot system), and the Panthers kept him off the market with a franchise tag ahead of Year 8. During the uncapped 2010, Peppers landed a then-record-setting DE pact from the Bears (six years, $84MM). He played four seasons on that deal, and after the Bears made the 6-foot-6 rusher a cap casualty in 2014, Peppers made an impact for three playoff-bound Packers teams in the mid-2010s.
While this can be considered a big night for the Bears — due to the enshrinements of three former players — Peppers played 10 years with the Panthers, returning home to close out his 17-season run. Fifteen years after he won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in Charlotte, the North Carolina native re-signed with his hometown team. Peppers’ penultimate season brought a 10th double-digit sack showing; he totaled 11 at age 37 to help the Panthers to their most recent playoff berth.
Patrick Willis, linebacker (2007-14)
Willis did not overstay his welcome in the NFL, retiring after his age-29 season. The dominant inside linebacker did not lack for accolades in his eight-year career, racking up six All-Pro honors — including five first-team distinctions. The 49ers nabbed Willis in the 2007 first round and turned him loose. Although San Francisco did not form the Jim Harbaugh–Vic Fangio pairing until Willis’ fifth season, he flashed frequently as a young player and was regarded by many as the NFL’s best off-ball linebacker for an extended period.
The Ole Miss alum picked up Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim and became the rare player to win that award while earning first-team All-Pro honors. Willis tallied a career-high 174 tackles — including a staggering 136 solo — as a rookie to provide an indication of his capabilities. Willis remained in his prime when Harbaugh and Fangio arrived in 2011. While Harbaugh’s arrival elevated Alex Smith and then Colin Kaepernick, Willis’ presence represented a key part of a defense-geared 49ers blueprint that produced three straight NFC championship games and a berth in Super Bowl XLVII.
Willis teamed with NaVorro Bowman to form one of the great linebacking pairs in modern NFL history. Seeing each soar to the first-team All-Pro perch, the 49ers went second-second-third in scoring defense from 2011-13. After suffering a foot injury midway through the 2014 season, Willis opted to call it quits.
* = denotes first year of eligibility
** = denotes senior candidate
Andre Johnson was a beast.
You know you are getting old when you remember all of them drafted as a kid and was playing them on Madden.
Or how all the guys you grew up watching have kids in the league now. Joey Porter, Antoine Winfield, Pat Surtain, Cam Haywood. Like come on, time needs to slow down.
Great post.
Hannibal, at my age I hope to the grandkids playing. But yes, can we slow the clock down. Dang!
Except gradishar …..unless I missed the Atari madden version?
The fact that Hester is going in but Rodney Harrison isn’t in is crazy and pathetic
Darren Woodson is the more egregious one
I think there is something to be said for being the greatest to ever do it at a thing but I get what you are saying.
Do you goobs just live for this day so you can whine and complain about a football player being added to the football museum?
Dog,
Did you see a whine or complaint from me, you dullard? There was not a single bit vitriol in my comment. It was simple, concise and to the point. Pointing out a fact. Do better man.
Yes it was a stellar complaint. You also seem to confuse fact with opinion.
What opinion? That Darren Woodson should be A HOFer. If that isn’t your opinion. Yeeeshh
He was widely considered to be the dirtiest player in the league.
Rodney Harrison is not a Hall of Famer. Not even close
Harrison even had to take “banned substances” to get where he was.
I can’t say a bad thing about any of them. They are all deserving. Mongo was a vastly underrated member of that 85 defense. Peppers was one of the best of his era as was Johnson. Gradishar and Willis were tackling machines. There isn’t a bad pick here. I know people will say Mongo got in because he’s ill. They should be ashamed of themselves. He was the guy who did the dirty work so others could shine.
I saw that McMichael actually led the ’85 Bears in Sacks, even over Dent and Hampton that season.Great player, and definitely a character, Its scary to see what ALS has done to him.
Hester changed the game with his performances, its always seemed like he had a second gear and getting past the 50 yard line he would just speed up. Just an honor to be a Bears fan to see that type of performance.
Maybe they want him in the WWE Hall of Fame instead.
Always pleased to see former Bears players get recognized for a stellar career but I’m thinking someone should throw a flag Sam Robinson’s way for bringing Kaepernick into a discussion of Hall of Famers.
A return specialist should not be in the hall of fame.
Because….?
There are way more players that were more impactful than him. How he got in over guys like Torry Holt and Simeon Rice is laughable.
A touch down is a touch down whether you run it in, pass it, or return it on a kick off or punt.
He’s in the hof because he’s the greatest returner ever.
Running backs get anywhere between 30-40 plays a game
Receivers and TEs get anywhere between 50-60 plays a game
A return guy MAYBE gets 10 combined between punts and kickoffs.
Him scoring as much as he did with severely limited opportunities compared to other skill positions is far more impressive and why he is in the hall.
“Him scoring as much as he did with severely limited opportunities compared to other skill positions is far more impressive”
It’s really not and there is no logical explanation for him being more impactful than Torry Holt. None what so ever.
When coaches tell the kicker to not kick to Hester, that’s impactful. Everyone in that stadium knew if the ball got into his hands, something electric could happen. So yes, I do feel he’s more impactful than Holt. I’m sure every team had to scheme to keep the ball out of his hands, knowing they had to deal with Bruce and Faluk as well.
Really? You don’t think scoring touchdowns on special teams and setting up offense with good field position instead of being pinned inside your own 20-25 is just as impactful as a receiving getting touchdowns / 1st downs?
You have a lot to learn about football.
Someone has a man crush on Torey Holt. Ha.
Guess what?? Why be concerned kick off returns are out of the game now. He was the best ever I think they got it right.
You don’t believe that football players should be in a football museum? Where do you come up with this stuff?
Congrats to all that were elected, they were awesome and deserving players!
Glad that gates wasn’t in though. I heard he wanted to be a san diego Charger in Canton, and the League won’t let that fly. Not to mention that he has nearly no postseason resume. Sorry but regular season means nothing and his and the rest of the team inability to play in big games from 2003-2016 forced Spanos to move from sd to LA. Made the smart business decision to earn for the family, rather than be toyed with a greedy city and fans, and their fans will come to their senses eventually and crawl back to loving them. I give it 5-10 years.
Anyways, once gates decides to be inducted as a LA Charger, then he’ll be fine, probably after Gronk gets in 2026, so maybe in 2027 or so. It sucks for him as he is the last franchise face of the old guard, but at least he’ll make it. Though rivers won’t ever be in due to his lack of resume as well. (Sorta like for me how tony gywnn was never deserving of the hall for the mlb, especially on first ballot, piled up stats on nothing but singles; Bonds or Sosa were much more deserving, never proven to have taken steroids in my eyes at least.)
But yeah, it’s only a matter of time before the sd baseball team moves too, as they lost their owner and there’s much unease in the city due to homeless and crime and lack of border solution. The prudent thing for the family to do is to sell to Music City LLC so Nashville can deservingly have a team as the market is bigger than sd and we already have the Titans. Maybe Goodell can work with Manfred to make this a reality, like how Las Vegas got Oakland’s teams. I say 10 years max until that becomes reality.
Dick Butkus never played a post season game. I hope you’re not suggesting he has no right to be in the Hall of Fame.
It’s the hall of fame not the hall of what my team accomplished. Gates is more than deserving to be in the hof based on his accomplishments and achievements.
Also. Lance Alsworth is in as a San Diego Charger. So why not Gates
Guys that played for New York Yankees franchise yes actually an NFL team once Boston Braves Houston Oilers Columbus Panhandlers Canton Bulldogs Decatur Staleys too are in and recognized.
You heard? The league has no say in hof voting. The league could care less. Kurt Warner NEVER played for the LA Rams. Did the NFL refuse his induction as a St Louis Ram or AZ Cardinal. That’s just one example of many to counter your comment. But the real proof of your idiocy is saying Gwynn didn’t deserve the hof. Because he was a singles hitter. Are you just stupid? I am a Giants fan but Gwynn was one of the best hitters…..EVER! Look at his 162 game average on Baseball Reference. 209hits 36doubles 6 triples 9 homers 76rbi 21stolen bases .338 career average. Hit over 300 in each of his LAST 19 SEASONS! Dude, if you had any hope with your Gates concept, your Gwynn comment blew holes in ANYTHING you say. Seriously, opinions are one thing but you state things as if they’re facts and they’re Bozo statements.
I love when someone chimes in and has no idea about sports or San Diego sports. No Gates is a big snub. Who has more TDs as a TE?
I stopped paying attention to this stuff, but is Hines Ward in the HOF?
Seems like there is a long list of better WR than Andre Johnson still waiting.
Hester is deserving, best returner ever and it’s not close.
So did I. The format for voting is ridiculous. Only media people vote and in secrecy. Peter King in his weekly articles said he wouldn’t vote for TO, when he was up for election, because he didn’t like him. Really, the players have to kiss the media’s butt to be eligible? HoF’ers don’t get a vote, why not? The best part about the HoF induction ceremony means football is back!
There isn’t a long list of WR better than Andre Johnson waiting.
I’m lukewarm on Torry Holt as a HOF’er but he and Hines had careers that actually amounted to stuff.
Did Andre Johnson ever achieve anything besides piling up garbage time numbers?
If nothing else, Johnson will always be known for his fights with Cortland Finnegan.
So Hines Ward was better due to having a better team around him? I can’t imagine what Andre’s numbers should have been like with a HOF QB throwing to him instead of David Carr and Matt Schaub.
Hines played a significant role in almost every game he played in, most of them wins. He has rings. He was the best blocking WR ever and a great WR in general, too.
Serious question, I legit don’t know the answer because the Texans were so irrelevant I rarely saw them…how many important games did Johnson play in in his career? What was his impact?
Is there a case for him beyond draft measurables and big numbers in a big numbers era?
Rings are a team accomplishment. They are not an individual accomplishment. He doesn’t have any if the rest of his team isn’t any good. If you are using a team accomplishment as an argument it is a weak argument.
If he were the 52nd man on the roster and I used team success that would be a weak argument.
Hines Ward was literally a Super Bowl MVP. Every week, he had an impact and helped his team win.
What did Johnson do?
Interesting to see Patrick Willis make it in. Skill wise there is no question that he can hang with any HoF linebacker, but I thought that his (relatively) short tenure may keep him out. Any doubts one may have regarding his prowess should be addressed with a healthy dose of tape, at the end of the day.
Great to see Gradishar make it in. He’s one of those “should have been in a while ago” players that isn’t well known in today’s game. Some of those guys get overlooked, and though I’m not for crowding the Hall of Fame, I really think that Gradishar deserved it.
dougdeb
When are they ever going to put in Otis Taylor? He was a stud and one of the old players who could of played in today’s game. Such a crime that they’ve overlooked him.
It was good to see Steve McMichael get in. I wouldn’t wish that disease on anyone.
How in the WORLD does Antonio Gates not make it in? I usually get upset that the hall these days is just the hall of “very good” especially since guys like Kurt Warner made it in but to outright deny a guy who is easily a top 5 TE all time on his first go is ridiculous.
Terrell Davis made it in by playing for 4 full seasons and voters simply assumed “what he could have done if not for injury” and voted him in on that.
The hall is a joke now.
Gates was better than Gronk or Kelce, but played in a league where people still got hit and tackled so it might not appear that way to most.
My top TE list all time is Gronk, Gates, Gonzalez, Kelce, and then it’s kind of a wash with Witten/Sharpe/Winslow.
Gronk I think was the most complete TE ever when you factor in receiving, blocking, and playoff accomplishments. That’s just me, but just the fact that Gates didn’t get in is an absolute shame and an embarrassment to the voters.
I’m guessing the PED suspension near the end of his career is what’s keeping him out this year. But he certainly deserves to be in there, hopefully they get it right next year.
Ken Anderson has been waiting a long time. Wonder what the hold up is.
I always thought Bowman was the better of the two – but he had a massive knee injury that basically cost him his career.
How does Andre Johnson make it in before Reggie Wayne?
Total BS. Wayne has more catches, more yards and touchdowns. Johnson was a great player and deserves to get in, but not before Reggie.
Wayne has 200 more yards, 8 more catches, and 12 more TDs in 18 more games with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck throwing him the ball. Johnson had David Carr and Matt Schaub throwing him the ball. You do the math.
The math is fine: 5-3. Wayne has waited 5yrs to Johnson’s 3. Johnson is a sure-fire HOF but Wayne should go ahead of him.