The Pro Football Hall of Fame recently announced their 2026 class, featuring Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald among other legends. The following year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has a loaded class. They are set to have tough decisions ahead of them when 2027 rolls around. It’s a deep class, but only a select few will get the knock at their door, and these players will be at the top of the list.
Richard Sherman’s best years came as the leader of the Legion of Boom in Seattle. He is not likely to be a first-ballot selection, but his body of work suggests there is a possibility of getting in. Sherman was selected as an All-Pro three times throughout his 11-year career and posted 37 interceptions in 144 games played. The legendary corner grabbed eight interceptions in 2012 and 2013. He helped bring a Super Bowl to Seattle, and it would have been two if Russell Wilson had handed the ball to Marshawn Lynch. The beef with Michael Crabtree was epic.
It’s tough to quantify an offensive lineman’s skills with stats, but the eye test will say that Andrew Whitworth was a beast. He put together a great 16-year career between the Bengals and Rams. The 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year made four Pro Bowls, two All-Pro selections, and was PFF’s best pass blocker in 2021. Whitworth started 235 of the 239 games he played, and he won a Super Bowl with the Rams. He deserves serious consideration in Canton. Now, he’s great on television, and he’s waiting for a knock at his door.
Big Ben Roethlisberger found himself in an interesting era of football. He spent 18 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and got overshadowed by Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Patrick Mahomes in most of them. Despite never being the best quarterback in the NFL, Roethlisberger found a way to leave his stamp on the league. He won two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh and was selected to the Pro Bowl six times. Big Ben is fifth in NFL history in passing yards and eighth in passing touchdowns, while being the fifth most sacked quarterback ever.
The king of the comeback completed 41 fourth-quarter comebacks and 51 game-winning drives throughout his career. He isn’t a Mount Rushmore quarterback, but he made the greatest throw in NFL history, a dart to Santonio Holmes to win Super Bowl 43 and captivate football fans everywhere. Big Ben will go down as one of the most underrated quarterbacks ever, and he deserves a seat in Canton.
Rob Gronkowski’s 11-year NFL career solidified him as the best tight end to ever live. As Tom Brady’s favorite target, Gronk made his way to five Pro Bowls and four All-Pro selections. He has the third-most touchdowns in NFL history by a tight end and the sixth-most receiving yards. The legendary tight end was a gigantic part of four Super Bowls, and his spot in Canton is guaranteed.
Adrian Peterson should be one of the easiest first-ballot guys in the history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He stuck around the NFL for 15 years, and he is one of the greatest running backs of all time. In 2012, Peterson made the league his. He won the MVP, Offensive Player Of The Year, and rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging six yards per carry and 131 yards per game. He wrapped up his career at fifth in NFL history in rushing yards and fourth in touchdowns. Purple Jesus has a spot waiting for him in Canton.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame only takes a few guys each year, but this class is loaded with legends. Antonio Brown’s career is worthy of Canton, but his off-field actions put it in question. Donta Hightower, Jimmy Graham, Joe Haden, and Malcolm Jenkins all deserve consideration. Unfortunately, there is a line in front of them that will make it an uphill battle. Peterson, Gronkowski, and Roethlisberger are locks for the 2027 class, but it has depth.
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