BREAKING: the 2025 semifinalists are here (and Eli is in)
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2024 12:01 pm
Eli Manning, welcome to Canton!
More or less.
Since the semifinalist stage started in 2004, every first-ballot semifinalist has either reached Canton or is still on the ballot. We'll see if the new voting process changes that, but based on that pattern, six new players can head to the tailor: Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs, Earl Thomas, Adam Vinatieri, Marshal Yanda... and yes, Eli Manning. I'll reserve my full annoyance for later, but part of it is the prioritizing of new players over later players, as voters sent three All-Decade selections to the senior ballot without ever discussing their case in 20 years:
Cornelius Bennett, Ben Coates, Neil Smith.
The good news: Richmond Webb is finally a semifinalist in his 18th year of eligibility, joined by Steve Wisniewski in year 2019. Wiz was previously a semifinalist in his 8th year.
I still don't know why they're ignoring Kevin Williams, who now has one year of non-semis eligibility for every 1st team All Pro selection of his career.
And the WR pile-up shows the folly of advancing players too early, with 1/5 of the semifinalists (5 of 25) at the same position. The longest wait for induction for a first-ballot semifinalist is 11 years; Holt is at 11 and Ward is at nine, so that number will likely stretch. The longest wait for a first-ballot finalist in the semis era is six years; Wayne is at six, so that number will likely stretch too.
The full list:
QB — Eli Manning
RB — Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters
WR — Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward
TE — Antonio Gates
OG — Jahri Evans, Steve Wisniewski, Marshal Yanda
OT — Willie Anderson, Richmond Webb
DE — Jared Allen, Robert Mathis
DT — Vince Wilfork
ILB — Luke Kuechly
OLB — James Harrison, Terrell Suggs
CB — Eric Allen
S — Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson
ST — Adam Vinatieri
More or less.
Since the semifinalist stage started in 2004, every first-ballot semifinalist has either reached Canton or is still on the ballot. We'll see if the new voting process changes that, but based on that pattern, six new players can head to the tailor: Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs, Earl Thomas, Adam Vinatieri, Marshal Yanda... and yes, Eli Manning. I'll reserve my full annoyance for later, but part of it is the prioritizing of new players over later players, as voters sent three All-Decade selections to the senior ballot without ever discussing their case in 20 years:
Cornelius Bennett, Ben Coates, Neil Smith.
The good news: Richmond Webb is finally a semifinalist in his 18th year of eligibility, joined by Steve Wisniewski in year 2019. Wiz was previously a semifinalist in his 8th year.
I still don't know why they're ignoring Kevin Williams, who now has one year of non-semis eligibility for every 1st team All Pro selection of his career.
And the WR pile-up shows the folly of advancing players too early, with 1/5 of the semifinalists (5 of 25) at the same position. The longest wait for induction for a first-ballot semifinalist is 11 years; Holt is at 11 and Ward is at nine, so that number will likely stretch. The longest wait for a first-ballot finalist in the semis era is six years; Wayne is at six, so that number will likely stretch too.
The full list:
QB — Eli Manning
RB — Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters
WR — Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward
TE — Antonio Gates
OG — Jahri Evans, Steve Wisniewski, Marshal Yanda
OT — Willie Anderson, Richmond Webb
DE — Jared Allen, Robert Mathis
DT — Vince Wilfork
ILB — Luke Kuechly
OLB — James Harrison, Terrell Suggs
CB — Eric Allen
S — Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson
ST — Adam Vinatieri