Eli Manning, Antonio Gates Among 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class Finalists

The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its finalists for the Class of 2025 on Saturday.

Highlighting the list are New York Giants legend Eli Manning, Los Angeles Chargers great Antonio Gates and a handful of others.

Of the 15 finalists, five are first-year eligibles, including Manning and Gates. A full list of finalists can be found on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website.

It’s not much of a surprise to see Manning named a finalist for the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He threw for 57,023 yards and 366 touchdowns across his career, winning two Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVPs. He’ll look to join his brother, Peyton, as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Along with Manning, first-year eligible players include Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs, Adam Vinatieri and Marshal Yanda.

Gates, who retired in 2018, was not elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot last year. After the snub, he spoke candidly about the disappointment that followed.

“I think the disheartening part of when you don’t make it is is that you made it so close,” he said, per USA Today’s Josh Peter. “It’s like getting to the championship and losing. … But how you handle it moving forward is the most important thing.”

Gates, an eight-time Pro Bowler, ranks fourth all-time in receptions by a tight end (955), has the fourth-most receiving yards (11,841) and the most touchdowns (116) at that position. While he already missed out on being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get the nod this year.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will be unveiled on Feb. 6 ahead of the Super Bowl in New Orleans.