Early look at the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot

With the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class officially inducted, it's time to turn our attention to the hopeful former NFL stars looking to get immortalized next year.

Here's the rundown on what the 2024 ballot could look like:

First-year eligible players

Though there's no guarantee that any of them will get in, there are a ton of intriguing first-year eligible candidates for 2024, including Julius Peppers and Andrew Luck, among others. Below are some of the most notable former players eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time.

Julius Peppers: The Carolina Panthers legend probably has the best shot to make it to Canton out of the first-year eligible players. A member of the All-Decade teams for the 2000s and 2010s, Peppers' 159.5 career sacks rank fourth in NFL history.

Antonio Gates: Despite not playing any college football, Gates carved out one of the greatest careers for a tight end ever. A hoops-to-football convert, Gates used his size and athleticism to bring a new edge to the position, recording 955 receptions for 11,841 receiving yards and 116 touchdowns. If it's not 2024, it feels inevitable Gates will one day get into the Hall of Fame considering he ranks 17th in receptions, 30th in receiving yards, and seventh in receiving touchdowns all time.

Eric Berry: At his peak, Berry was among the top safeties of this era. A member of the All-Decade team for the 2010s, he collected five Pro Bowls, three first-team All-Pro nods, and 14 career interceptions. However, Berry earned arguably his biggest feat by winning Comeback Player of the Year in 2015 after missing most of the previous season due to Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Haloti Ngata: Playing nose tackle is often a thankless position due to the lack of visible stats in the box score, but Ngata was one of the best of his time. During his nine years in Baltimore, the Ravens ranked in the top five against the run on seven occasions. A five-time Pro Bowler, Ngata also grabbed a Super Bowl championship with the Ravens.

Andrew Luck: There's a slim to none chance Luck will ever reach the Hall of Fame, but it's worth remembering his short yet productive career. Luck was one of the most naturally talented passers to enter the NFL in recent times, throwing for 171 touchdowns and 23,671 yards during his short stay with the Indianapolis Colts before shockingly retiring due to injuries.

Best of 2023 modern-era finalists

Unfortunately, not every player cracks the Hall of Fame immediately. The 2023 ballot left off a ton of high-profile modern-era superstars who were among the biggest game-changers when they played. Will those listed below get an invite to Canton in 2024? Time will tell, but all these athletes deserve consideration.

Dwight Freeney: Freeney is 18th all time in sacks with 125.5. The longtime Colts pass-rusher was a pure disruptor during the 2000s. Freeney recorded 10-plus sacks in seven of his first nine seasons. His partnership with edge rusher Robert Mathis was a very important but overlooked aspect of the Colts' dominance over the first decade of this century.

Devin Hester: Role players don't usually get inducted into the Hall of Fame. But there probably should be an exception for Hester after he revolutionized the return game. He still holds the NFL record for most career return touchdowns with 20 (14 punts, five kickoffs, one missed field goal). Nothing may be more memorable than his 2006 season when he scored seven total return touchdowns, including one in the Super Bowl.

Jared Allen: Allen twice led the league in sacks, including a near record-breaking 22 in 2011. The former edge rusher, who spent most of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings, shares the NFL record for most consecutive games with at least a half-sack after doing it in 11 straight contests. Allen's 136 sacks are also the 12th most ever.

Reggie Wayne: Wayne is trying to join his former Colts teammate Marvin Harrison in Canton. Their numbers are quite comparable. Wayne recorded 1,070 catches for 14,345 yards, while Harrison grabbed 1,102 receptions for 14,580 yards. Wayne also posted seven straight 1,000-plus yard campaigns from 2004-10.

Torry Holt: Holt is the only member from the main cast of "The Greatest Show on Turf" not to make the Hall of Fame. He's been up for consideration four times but hasn't cracked the entry list. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Holt twice led the NFL in receiving yards and racked up over 13,000 receiving yards across an 11-year career.

Patrick Willis: Injuries forced Willis to end his career after just eight seasons. Perhaps that was a consequence of how much he gave to the sport because it's hard to think of a better all-around linebacker during his time. Willis led the league in tackles as a rookie and then continued to dominate the line of scrimmage, racking up seven Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro selections.

Willie Anderson: Anderson missed the cut-off for the Hall of Fame in each of the last two years, but perhaps 2024 is his time. He was a standout right tackle for the Bengals from 1996-2007 and earned three first-team All-Pro nods in Cincinnati before spending his final year with the Ravens.

Andre Johnson: Johnson is the only player in NFL history to record four seasons of 100-plus receptions and 1,400-plus yards. The Houston Texans legend owns many of the club's franchise records. His 14,185 career receiving yards ranks just outside the top 10 all time.

Darren Woodson: While the safety position has evolved massively in recent years, Woodson was one of the most versatile safeties of his era. Opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators always had to account for him. A true field general, Woodson ended his career with 23 interceptions and 967 tackles.

Seniors

Twelve player candidates have been selected for the Seniors category of the 2024 Hall of Fame class. The biggest names among the group include Sterling Sharpe, Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and Eddie Meador, among others. None of the players listed in the Senior category played later than the 1998 season. The committee can choose up to three candidates to be considered for the 2024 ballot, where they'll need 80% of the vote to be enshrined.

• Ken Anderson
• Maxie Baughan
• Roger Craig
• Randy Gradishar
• Joe Jacoby
• Albert Lewis
• Steve McMichael
• Eddie Meador
• Art Powell
• Sterling Sharpe
• Otis Taylor
• Al Wistert

Coach/Contributer

There are also 12 notable candidates in the coaches and contributors section of the 2024 ballot. The group is loaded with the likes of Tom Coughlin, who twice slayed the mighty New England Patriots for two Super Bowls, and Robert Kraft, who has collected six Lombardi Trophies as the Patriots' owner. While all the names listed below hold credible resumes, only one candidate will be selected for final consideration.

• Tom Coughlin
• Mike Holmgren
• Frank “Bucko” Kilroy
• Robert Kraft
• Buddy Parker
• Dan Reeves
• Art Rooney Jr.
• Marty Schottenheimer
• Mike Shanahan
• Clark Shaughnessy
• Lloyd Wells
• John Wooten