Pro Football Hall of Fame: 'Killer Bs', Rob Gronkowski, Adrian Peterson among likely 2027 candidates
A slew of notable players will be eligible for induction for the first time
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
6 min read
In addition to Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft and Eli Manning, a slew of other big names will be eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027.
To be eligible for induction, players must have retired for at least five years. That means that every player whose final season was in 2021 will be eligible for the first time this upcoming year.
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The list of first-time eligible players for 2027 includes two former league MVPs, a two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, a former All-Pro defensive back and arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history. The list also includes three former teammates who enjoyed considerable success together.
Here's a rundown of every notable player who will be eligible in 2027, ranked in order of their odds of receiving enshrinement in their first year of eligibility.
Good as gold
While former Patriots haven't had much luck in recent years, it's hard to imagine that impacting Gronkowski, who wasn't affiliated with Spygate and had a good working relationship with the media as a player, has continued to in retirement (he's a member of the media himself, which certainly doesn't hurt).
Injuries may have slowed him down a bit, but it hasn't stopped Gronkowski from being in the conversation among the greatest tight ends in NFL history. Along with being a constant mismatch in the passing game, Gronkowski was a devastating blocker, which strengthens his case as the most complete tight end of all time. His unique talent helped him win four Super Bowls.
Peterson is also widely regarded as one of the best ever at his position. The fifth leading rusher in NFL history, Peterson is the last non-quarterback to win league MVP. That season (2012), Peterson ran for 2,097 yards, the second-highest single-season total in league history. He won his third rushing title at age 30 and was still putting up 1,000-yard seasons at age 33.
The only thing that could hurt Peterson's chances next year is some recent legal issues, including an arrest in October of 2025. Peterson also ended his career with two forgettable seasons, but that alone would likely not be enough to prevent him from being voted in next year.
Probable
There's no doubt that Roethlisberger is a future Hall of Famer; the question is whether or not enough voters feel that he is first-ballot worthy.
Roethlisberger's career milestones would suggest that he is. He's seventh all-time in passing yards (64,088), ninth in touchdown passes (418), a two-time Super Bowl champion and is the youngest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He twice led the NFL in passing yards and has the most 500-yard passing games (four) in NFL history. Roehtlisberger is also the only quarterback to throw six touchdowns in back-to-back games, doing so in 2014. He also holds the unofficial title of one of the hardest quarterbacks to take down.
Roethlisberger's magnum opus was at the end of Super Bowl XLIII, when he capped off the Steelers' game-winning drive with a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes that has gone down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.
Will likely have to wait
Sherman will likely receive a gold jacket and bronze bust at some point. A member of the 2000s All-Decade Team, Sherman was a three-time All-Pro cornerback and the leader of the Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" defense, which led Seattle to its first Super Bowl title.
A fellow 2000s All-Decade Team member, Mack enjoyed impressive longevity for an offensive lineman. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod at 25 and his last one at age 36. In between, he was named to five additional Pro Bowls and was a model of consistency.
Weddle -- another member of the 2000s All-Decade Team -- was a complete safety who excelled in both pass coverage and run support. He led the NFL in interceptions once and had over 100 tackles in a season on four occasions. At age 36, Weddle returned from retirement and helped the Rams win the Super Bowl.
Sherman's condensed prime (he made one Pro Bowl after his age-28 season) could prevent him from being a first-ballot inductee. Mack's lack of All-Pros will likely hurt his case, as offensive linemen are underrepresented in the Hall of Fame. Weddle also played a position that is underrepresented in Canton, Ohio.
Compelling cases, but...
Taking next year off the table, it'll be interesting to see if these players ever get inducted.
McCoy was an excellent defensive tackle who was named to six straight Pro Bowls while manning the Buccaneers' defensive line. But like Mack and Weddle, McCoy played a position that is often overlooked by voters unless you were the undisputed best at that position for a sustained period of time. For McCoy, that player is Aaron Donald, who will likely be inducted as soon as he is eligible.
Newton's career was largely defined by meteoric highs and lows. In 2015, for example, he won the league MVP while leading the Panthers to a 15-1 regular-season record and an NFC title. He had a forgettable Super Bowl, however, marked by his lack of urgency in recovering his second fumble of the game, which ultimately set up the Broncos' game-clinching score. Newton also had a short prime that was likely the byproduct of being one of the greatest running quarterbacks in NFL history. It came at a price: exposing himself to major hits.
From a talent and production standpoint, Brown had a Hall of Fame career. A former sixth-round pick, Brown had arguably the greatest six-year run in NFL history for a receiver. From 2013-18, he averaged 114 receptions for 1,525 yards and 11 touchdowns per season. He led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards twice and led the league in touchdown receptions once over that span.
Brown won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers later in his career, but that was after an ugly breakup in Pittsburgh that was followed by even uglier breakups in Oakland and New England. Brown's time in Tampa -- and in the NFL, for that matter -- also ended on a sour note after he ran off the field -- shirtless -- during the middle of a game. It's safe to say that those moments, in addition to some off-field incidents, have put his Hall of Fame future in serious jeopardy.
Long shots
Haden and Whitworth enjoyed long, successful careers that included seven combined Pro Bowl selections. Both players, however, will likely face an uphill climb for future induction, especially Haden, who was never an All-Pro. Whitworth could potentially receive induction one day based on the fact that he was a two-time All-Pro who, at age 40, helped the Rams defeat his former team (the Bengals) in the Super Bowl.
A versatile running back, Bell was on his way to a potential Hall of Fame career after earning three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro nods during his first five seasons while playing alongside fellow "Killer B" teammates Roethlisberger and Brown. A season-long holdout, however, negatively changed the course of Bell's career and all but ended his Hall of Fame chances.
