The New England Patriots may not have any former players being inducted into the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame, as Rodney Harrison's 11th year of eligibility saw him fall short again. However, New England may not have to wait too long until another former Patriot finds his way into Canton, Ohio.
The upcoming 2025 Hall of Fame class will see a fresh batch of first-year eligible candidates, including former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri.
The 51-year-old, who retired at the end of the 2019 season as then a member of the Indianapolis Colts, has a chance to become just the fifth kicker enshrined into Hall of Fame.
Vinatieri's legacy remains as one of the most clutch kickers in the league's history. He helped the Patriots bring home two of their six Lombardi Trophies, as he kicked game-winning field goals in Super Bowl XXVI over the Los Angeles Rams and two years later versus the Carolina Panthers in XXVIII.
However, Vinatieri won't be the only familiar face on the ballot for the first time, as even the man who stopped the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, will be eligible.
The list of potential first-ballot candidates includes Marshawn Lynch, Terrell Suggs, and Luke Kuechly; in addition to Vinatieri and Manning, the latter may be the most intriguing candidate.
Despite being able to claim not just one but two wins over the Patriots and Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, Manning's resume comes without ever being named a first or second-team All-Pro.
That could be overlooked by the voters, who could make a pass for the brother of Peyton Manning, who had to play in the same era as his older brother, Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers, all of whom (except Peyton) are surely soon to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
However, while the status of potentially becoming the second Manning in Canton is uncertain, Vinateri ended his career as league's all-time leader in points scored with 2,673, making him the favorite to become the next kicker elected to Canton.
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