The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2024 has been announced, and it includes some of the greatest to play their position, Super Bowl champions, and players who changed the game.
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Even with Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers, Patrick Willis, and senior committee inductees Randy Gradishar and Steve McMichael getting into the Hall of Fame, there were some head-scratching omissions.
Here's a look at the five biggest snubs of the 2024 class.
Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers
Antonio Gates missed out on enshrinement in 2024, despite being one of the most prolific tight ends of the modern era and the model by which some of today's greats at the position pattern their games.
Gates, five years after his retirement, remains third on the all-time receiving list among tight ends with 955 receptions for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Gates ranks seventh-all time among all NFL players in touchdown receptions with each player ahead of him already inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
While he is not a first-ballot selection, it is difficult to imagine Gates not eventually getting into the Hall of Fame. Gates' strong candidacy is based both on his production and the fact that he played a significant role in revolutionizing the tight end position. His playing style and usage opened the door for the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, George Kittle to become among the most prolific pass-catchers in the sport.
Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts
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Reggie Wayne has now become intimately familiar with the wide receiver logjam at the entrance to Canton, and his path to enshrinement isn't going to get any easier. With Larry Fitzgerald's eligibility coming down the pike and several worthy wide receivers also in Wayne's class, Wayne's eventual enshrinement is anything but guaranteed.
Wayne made six Pro Bowls during his career with the Colts, while finishing his career as the No. 10 all-time leading receiver in league history with 1,070 receptions for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns.
Some might argue that Wayne was overshadowed by Marvin Harrison, but his eight 1,000-yard seasons make a compelling candidacy regardless of who was commanding attention on the opposite side of the field or that he caught passes from Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.
Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings
Jared Allen's fourth time on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot was marred by fellow pass-rushers Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers.
Allen spent his career wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks, producing 136 sacks, which is 16th most all-time, and every Hall of Fame eligible player ranked above the former Vikings star have already donned a gold jacket. Meanwhile, Allen is tied with four other players for the most safeties ever recorded.
A five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro selection, Allen's resumé holds up strongly compared to his contemporaries which makes the fact that he continues to come up short one of the more Hall of Fame candidacies in recent memory.
Torry Holt, WR, Rams
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Holt joined Wayne as receivers left out in the cold as the Hall of Fame selectors chose Andre Johnson for enshrinement, the lone wide receiver to ease the logjam at the position in this year's class.
One of the most prolific wide receivers of his era, and an integral component of the Rams' 'Greatest Show on Turf' offense. Holt finished his career with 920 receptions for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns, while averaging an explosive 14.5 yards per reception over the course of his 11-season career.
The No. 17 leading receiver of all-time, only three of the Hall of Fame eligible players ahead of Holt haven't been enshrined. A finalist for the past five seasons, and a seven-time Pro Bowler, Holt's path to the Hall of Fame might get a bit more difficult once Fitzgerald becomes eligible and the vote continues to be split alongside Wayne.l
Darren Woodson, S, Dallas Cowboys
Darren Woodson is one of the greatest defenders in Dallas Cowboys franchise history, but will need to wait at least another year before potentially taking his place among the greatest in the sport.
Woodson has three Super Bowl rings on his fingers and was chosen to five Pro Bowls, but that hasn't been enough to garner enough favor on the selection committee to gain enshrinement. After all, Woodson has been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2008 but continues to be left out in the cold, as safeties such as Brian Dawkins, John Lynch, Ed Reed, Steve Atwater, LeRoy Butler, and Troy Polamalu — all deserving candidates — leapfrogged him into Canton.
While the deck at safety seems cleared, for now, that hasn't made Woodson's path any easier. Woodson's resume should be enough to make it through, even if to date, he hasn't.
