These are the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists, and 1 big snub

Here’s who might enter Canton in 2024.

Dec 28, 2023, 3:43 PM UTC

James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.

The NFL announced the finalists for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame, and it’s a list with a lot of familiar names. There are only two first-ballot entries for Canton this year, while a lot of players try once again to get enshrined.

This is Julius Peppers’ first attempt to enter the Hall of Fame, and he’s as close to a lock as you could possibly imagine. Peppers is fifth in the NFL’s all-time sack list with 159.5, and is surrounded on both sides of the rankings by players who have already entered the HoF. When you factor in his production, longevity, and lack of off-field issues it makes for a very easy candidacy.

The other first-ballot candidate in 2024 is Antonio Gates, and he should make is as well. Gates has a great resume, being third in all-time receiving yards by a tight end, but his candidacy isn’t quite the lock that Peppers’ has on Canton this year. A lot of that has to do with being lost in the shuffle on a great, but underachieving Chargers team. While he may only have two 1,000 yard seasons to his name, Gates’ 116 receiving touchdowns should turn heads.

When it comes to snubs, there’s player with a big resume and a bigger with a personality: Steve Smith.

Despite being 8th on the NFL’s all-time receiving list, and having more yards that Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter and Andre Reed (who are all in the HoF), Smith didn’t even garner a nomination in 2024. Instead there are a trio of receiver finalists in Andre Johnson, Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne — with Devin Hester also being a receiver finalist, though his KR/PR skills are why he’s having a shot at Canton.