On Tuesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its list of nominees for the Seniors category for their Class of 2025.
To be eligible in this category, retired players must have last played in the NFL at least 25 full seasons ago, had at least five years of service, and at least one recognized postseason honor.
Only 11 former Patriots were included in this list of 183 players:
- Gino Cappelletti, WR/DB/K (1960-70)
- Henry Ellard, WR (1998)
- Chuck Foreman, RB (1980)
- Harold Jackson, WR (1978-81)
- Nick Lowery, K (1978)
- Stanley Morgan, WR (1977-89)
- Jim Plunkett, QB (1971-75)
- Bob Scarpitto, WR (1968)
- Fred Smerlas, DT (1991-92)
- Pat Studstill, P/WR (1972)
- Mark van Eeghen, RB (1982-83)
A few names on that list will stand out to Patriots fans a lot more than others. But all 11 players had decorated careers overall, regardless of whether or not the bulk of their successes came primarily in New England.
The biggest name nationally in that group of Patriots alumni is Jim Plunkett, who was the number one overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft by New England out of Stanford.
The 1970 Heisman Trophy winner never lived up to the hype in his five seasons with the Patriots, compiling a record of 23-38 before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 1976 season. Plunkett would later go on to become a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback with the Raiders, where he spent eight seasons and is regarded as one of the best field generals in franchise history.
Gino Cappelletti is on the marquee for names that pop locally, as “The Duke” was both a legend for the Patriots on the field and in the radio booth.
Cappelletti was the first player in franchise history to win a league MVP award, being awarded AFL MVP in 1964 as both the team’s kicker and star wide receiver. He will forever hold the distinction as the AFL’s all-time scoring leader (1,100), as the league ceased operations in 1970 after merging with the NFL.
Upon retirement, Cappelletti would join the New England Patriots Radio Network as color commentator, where he had two separate stints as the lead radio analyst (1972-78; 1988-2011). 28 of those seasons in the booth were spent with legendary play-by-play announcer Gil Santos. No radio duo in modern NFL history called more games together than Santos and “Mr Patriot.”
Another familiar name - and maybe the most likely name to be selected for induction - is Stanley Morgan, who’s red #86 is still in heavy circulation among Patriots fans rocking the throwbacks on game days.
Morgan spent 13 of his 14 seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, and is still the team’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 10,352. Next closest on that list is Rob Gronkowski, who trails Morgan by 2,491 yards. He’s second in franchise history with 67 receiving touchdowns - Gronkowski has him beat there with 79.
Maybe most impressively, “Stanley Steamer” still holds the NFL record for career yards per catch with 19.2 (minimum 500 career catches). During an era of football where ground-and-pound was the name of the game, Morgan was in a league of his own with opening up the field.
Fred Smerlas is a familiar name to longtime listeners of WEEI, as the Waltham, MA native became a legendary regular on “The Big Show” with Glenn Ordway during its heyday. Smerlas was also a staple of WEEI’s Patriots radio coverage, along with Ordway and former Patriots linebacker Steve DeOssie.
Smerlas, a Boston College grad, spent most of his 14-year career at nose tackle for the Buffalo Bills, where he made five Pro Bowls to go along with five All-Pro selections. After one season with the 49ers in 1990, Smerlas played his final two seasons with his hometown Patriots. Smerlas is a member of the Bills Wall of Fame, 25th Anniversary Team and 50th Anniversary Team.
Four players on this list of nominees outside of the 11 former Patriots also have ties to New England: Mark Bavaro, John Niland, Bill Osmanski and Walt Sweeney.
Chief among them is tight end Mark Bavaro - the Danvers High School legend who went on to win two Super Bowls with the New York Giants (XXI & XXV). A member of the Giants Ring of Honor, Bavaro has been frequently referenced by former Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick as one of the best players he ever crossed paths with.
The late Bill Osmanski is among the greatest players in Chicago Bears history. The Providence, RI native played running back at his hometown’s Central High School, before playing three seasons at Holy Cross (1936-38). After cementing himself as one of the best players in Crusaders history, “Bullet Bill” would go on to win four NFL Championships with the Bears. His best season was his rookie year in Chicago, where he led the NFL in rushing yards and was named as a first team All-Pro. He went on to make the Pro Bowl three times, and is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team.
The late Walt Sweeney was a Cohasset, MA native, who played his high school ball at his hometown Cohasset High School before heading to Syracuse for his college career. Sweeney was named an AFL All-Star six times, a Pro Bowler three times, and would go on to win an AFL Championship in 1963. He’s a member of the Chargers Hall of Fame, and is maybe best known for Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Merlin Olsen saying he would “rather sell used cars” than line up against Sweeney.
John Niland was born in Quincy, MA before moving to Long Island as a kid with his adopted family. The Super Bowl VI champion made the Pro Bowl six times as a guard with the Cowboys and Eagles. But with Niland moving to New York at such a young age, it would feel wrong to claim him as one of our own.
One former Patriot on this list who also has local ties - outside of Smerlas, of course - is running back Mark van Eeghen. The Cambridge, MA native moved with his family down to Rhode Island as a child, and van Eeghen played his high school football at Cranston West before heading to Colgate University (Hamilton, NY). He won two Super Bowls during his eight seasons with the Raiders (XI & XV), and spent the final two years of his career with his hometown Patriots.
The Seniors Screening Committee - a new entity created this year to add additional input around the overall selection process - will reduce the list of 183 names down to 50 players over the next several weeks. Once the committee has completed its work, the separate Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee will make additional reductions in several increments.
In late fall, the blue-ribbon committee will select three Seniors as finalists for possible election with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
At the moment, the Patriots remain among the most under-represented franchises in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with only 11 players or coaches with ties to the franchise currently enshrined in Canton, OH.
How many players from each NFL franchise are in the Pro Football Hall Fame? Here’s the breakdown for each franchise:
- Chicago Bears - 39
- Green Bay Packers - 34
- Los Angeles Rams - 33
- Dallas Cowboys - 32
- New York Giants - 32
- Pittsburgh Steelers - 32
- Washington Commanders - 32
- Las Vegas Raiders - 30
- San Francisco 49ers - 29
- Kansas City Chiefs - 25
- Philadelphia Eagles - 25
- Arizona Cardinals - 24
- Indianapolis Colts - 24
- Cleveland Browns - 23
- Detroit Lions - 23
- Minnesota Vikings - 22
- New York Jets - 20
- Tennessee Titans - 18
- Miami Dolphins - 17
- Seattle Seahawks - 17
- Denver Broncos - 16
- Los Angeles Chargers - 16
- Buffalo Bills - 12
- Atlanta Falcons - 11
- New England Patriots - 11
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 11
- New Orleans Saints - 10
- Baltimore Ravens - 7
- Carolina Panthers - 4
- Cincinnati Bengals - 4
- Houston Texans - 2
- Jacksonville Jaguars - 1
Even after winning six Super Bowls from 2001 to 2018, recent ballots have seen Patriot after Patriot passed over for contemporaries with far less Super Bowl rings.
New England Patriots in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
- Nick Buoniconti, LB (1962-1968)
- John Hannah, G (1973-85)
- Mike Haynes, DB (1976-82)
- Ty Law, DB (1995-2004)
- Curtis Martin, RB (1995-97)
- Randy Moss, WR (2007-10)
- Bill Parcells, HC (1993-96)
- Darrelle Revis, DB (2014)
- Junior Seau, LB (2006-09)
- Richard Seymour, DE (2001-08)
- Andre Tippett, LB (1982-93)
Notable players from the Patriots dynasty to have been left out of Canton in recent years are five-time All-Pro defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and three-time All-Pro safety Rodney Harrison, both of which won two Super Bowls while donning the Flying Elvis. An outside case can also be made for six-time All-Pro guard Logan Mankins, who made the Pro Bowl seven times in an 11 year career that landed him on the NFL All-2010s Team.
In addition to Wilfork, Harrison and Mankins, I would love to sit here and explain to you why guys like Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Matt Light, Lawyer Milloy and Corey Dillon should all be in the gold jacket conversation. But that’s a different column for a different day.
And enough has been written this week about Patriots owner Robert Kraft as it relates to the hall - of course he should be in. What are we doing, voters?
With all of this said, some no-brainers from Patriots lore will be eligible for Canton in the coming years:
- 2025 - Adam Vinatieri, K (1996-2005)
- 2026 - Bill Belichick, HC (2000-23)
- 2027 - Rob Gronkowski, TE (2010-18)
- 2028 - Tom Brady, QB (2000-19)
All four of those men will be inducted, and all four inductions should come on their first ballot.
Arguments will be made in 2026 for Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman, who is among the most decorated postseason receivers in NFL history. That will be a tough hill to climb, given the backlog of great receivers waiting for their turn at a bronze bust. Personally, I believe Edelman’s unique mix of postseason hardware and clutch moments will eventually be difficult to ignore by a Seniors committee down the line. It may take until 2045 (or later), but I think he eventually gets in.
2029 will bring us the candidacy of eight-time All-Pro Matthew Slater, who captained the Patriots’ special teams to three Super Bowls during part two of the dynasty. With all-time great return man Devin Hester breaking through as a member of the 2024 induction class, an opening for more special teams players has been created. It doesn’t hurt that his dad, Jackie, is a member of the hall’s Class of 2001.
And as far as current players go, 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore will have a real case to be made for Canton, as every defensive back to have won this award - outside of Bob Sanders (2007) and Lester Hayes (1980) - has gone on to receive a gold jacket. Gilmore played the best football of his career while in New England from 2017 to 2021, making the key defensive play to seal the victory in Super Bowl LIII.
But, for now, we’ll wait to see if any of the 11 former Patriots among the 183 Senior player nominees will be added to the 11 current Patriots in football’s most exclusive fraternity.