As a part of Thursday evening’s NFL Honors program, the 2025 Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame class has been revealed. It consists of simply 4 gamers this yr. Right here is the complete breakdown of the 2025 class:
Eric Allen, CB (1988-2001)
Enjoying lengthy sufficient to be a part of the Reggie White–Jerome Brown Eagles defenses to Jon Gruden‘s Raiders groups, Allen excelled effectively into his 30s and is likely one of the nice playmaking cornerbacks in NFL historical past. Allen is liable for eight pick-sixes, cramming seven of them between the 1993 and 2001 seasons. Allen completed his 14-year profession with 54 INTs, which is tied for twenty first in NFL historical past.
The Eagles drafted Allen within the 1988 second spherical and put in him as a starter on Buddy Ryan‘s protection in Week 1 of his rookie season. Allen intercepted 13 passes over his first two years, serving to the Eagles — with White on the wheel — type a dominant defensive nucleus. The Eagles gained the NFC East in Allen’s rookie season, ending a five-year playoff drought. As Randall Cunningham soared on offense, Allen patrolled the again line of a protection geared round one of many NFL’s all-time greats. Allen joins White because the Corridor of Famers from that unit.
Allen notched 4 pick-sixes in the course of the 1993 season, together with this gem against the Jets, however the Eagles fell in need of the playoffs that yr and dipped a bit because the Cunningham years waned. Allen nonetheless made the Professional Bowl annually from 1991-95, following a first-team All-Professional honor in 1989. He signed with the Saints as a free agent in 1995, enjoying three years in New Orleans, earlier than becoming a member of the Raiders in Gruden’s first offseason on the controls.
Because the Raiders hoarded growing older gamers who nonetheless had a lot left within the tank throughout Gruden’s first stint as HC, Allen was among the many most efficient. He nabbed six INTs at age 35 in 2000, returning three for scores. That season snapped a seven-year Raiders playoff skid and produced a run to the AFC championship recreation — the franchise’s first in 17 years. Allen retired after the ’01 season, beginning 214 video games. Amongst pure corners, that ranks third all time. Whereas the turnover counts aided Allen, his longevity will ship him to Canton almost 25 years after his retirement.
Jared Allen, DE (2004-15)
The most effective sack artists of his period, Jared Allen will make this a two-Allen class (on a giant evening for NFL Allens). Jared excelled for the Chiefs and Vikings, being a part of a win-win commerce in 2008, after which retired after enjoying in Tremendous Bowl 50 as a Panther. Allen sits twelfth within the sack period (1982-present) in QB drops, racking up 136 regardless of enjoying solely 12 seasons.
The Chiefs drafted Allen within the 2004 fourth spherical out of Division I-FCS Idaho State. He instantly grew to become an affect edge rusher however joined a group in transition. As Kansas Metropolis’s offense-oriented group was growing older, Allen ascended and have become a star on a declining group. After the Chiefs made the playoffs in 2006 underneath first-year HC Herm Edwards, Allen led the NFL with 15.5 sacks in his fourth season. The 2007 Chiefs went 4-12, shedding their last 9 video games. The Chiefs cashed out on a participant who had encountered off-field bother, within the type of two 2006 DUIs, early in his profession. The commerce outfitted each the Chiefs and Vikings.
Throughout the 2008 draft, Kansas Metropolis dealt Allen to Minnesota for first- and third-round picks. A win-win swap despatched sort out Branden Albert and working again Jamaal Charles to the Chiefs within the ’08 draft, whereas Allen loved his prime within the Twin Cities. Registering 14.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons, the second falling simply in need of a Tremendous Bowl after Minnesota’s Brett Favre-led group misplaced in extra time within the NFC Championship Recreation, Allen then made a run on the NFL file in 2011. Allen tallied 22 sacks in the course of the ’11 season, falling a half-sack in need of Michael Strahan’s official file.
Allen performed out his Vikings contract in 2013, signing with the Bears. Chicago then traded him to Carolina in the course of the 2015 season, as he joined fellow former Bear Charles Tillman in going for a championship with the Panthers. Though Carolina went 15-1 and ranked sixth defensively, the group’s high-powered offense fell to a superior Denver protection in Tremendous Bowl 50. Allen wanted to attend a bit earlier than his induction, however he has gained entry on this yr’s unusually small class.
Antonio Gates, TE (2003-18)
Gates stays the NFL’s chief amongst landing receptions by a decent finish. The longtime Philip Rivers goal totaled 116 TD grabs throughout his 16-year profession, bettering Tony Gonzalez‘s mark by 5. Gonzalez additionally performed 17 seasons (to Gates’ 16). Gates tied Gonzalez’s then-record in 2016, posting 5 TDs throughout his last two seasons. The transformed basketball participant’s mid-2000s surge helped the Chargers win 4 straight AFC West titles to shut the last decade.
The Chargers made Gates an integral a part of that climb, which stays the franchise’s greatest sustained stretch since its Air Coryell years. LaDainian Tomlinson shattered the single-season landing file, which nonetheless stands almost 20 years later, and Gates broke by as an affect tight finish. The Chargers constructed their passing assault round Gates for a few years, and he helped anchor the group’s skill-position group in between Tomlinson’s exit and Keenan Allen‘s arrival.
Initially enjoying alongside Drew Brees, the ex-Kent State hooper earned first-team All-Professional honors in his second, third and fourth seasons. Gates solely suited up for the Chargers, strolling away after his age-38 season. The Bolts and Gates agreed to 5 contracts, probably the most profitable a five-year, $36.2M extension in 2010.
Though Gates wanted to attend a yr earlier than being enshrined, he is likely one of the biggest tight ends in NFL historical past. His 116 TD receptions rank seventh all time at any place. Whereas his manufacturing tailed off as he hit his mid-30s, after making eight consecutive Professional Bowls from 2004-11, the previous UDFA remained a strong red-zone goal for Rivers.
Sterling Sharpe, vast receiver (1988-94)
If the NFL had a No. 1 contender standing to Jerry Rice throughout his peak, Sharpe would have been one of the best reply. The star Packers pass-catcher was 5-for-7 in Professional Bowl nods, throughout an period the place that meant extra, and raced to a few All-Professional first groups throughout a profession lower quick by a neck harm.
Sharpe was near doing sufficient for Corridor entry by the point he retired at 29, and he exited simply earlier than Favre grew into MVP type. In Favre’s early years, nonetheless, Sharpe helped the Inexperienced Bay commerce acquisition develop into one of many recreation’s greatest.
The No. 7 total decide in a 1988 draft that additionally included Corridor of Famers Michael Irvin and Tim Brown, Professional Bowler Anthony Miller and single-game receiving yardage king Flipper Anderson, Sharpe was the primary wideout off the board. The bodily South Carolina product, who entered the league two years earlier than brother Shannon (and with a lot better fanfare), posted a 1,400-yard season in 1989, serving to QB Don Majkowski end second in MVP voting. Sharpe added one other 1,100-yard yr in 1990 and soared again to the All-Professional degree when the Pack landed Favre in ’92.
Sharpe’s first yr with Favre featured the wideout break Artwork Monk’s single-season file by catching 108 passes. Changing into the primary receiver to submit back-to-back seasons with 100 catches, Sharpe broke his personal mark with 112 grabs in 1993. Sharpe led the NFL in landing receptions in 1992 (13) and ’94 (18), reaching the latter perch regardless of coping with the neck harm and different illnesses. The Favre-Sharpe connection performed a central position within the Packers snapping a 10-year playoff drought, and within the duo’s first playoff recreation, they attached on a game-winning rating to beat the Lions in Detroit. Sharpe by no means missed a recreation and retired rating thirteenth in profession catches (595) and 18th all time in TD receptions (65).
