Ravens legend Terrell Suggs confronts fate of Hall of Fame enshrinement
Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs was one of the best and most-feared linebackers in the NFL during his tenure with the Balitmore Ravens.
As a Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, and seven-time Pro Bowler, Suggs was one of the best linebackers in the 2000s and 2010s.
Following the 2019 season where he spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and the Kansas City Chiefs, Suggs made the decision to retire from the NFL after a 17-year career.
Fast forward to now, 2024, and Suggs will be eligible to become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year.
While he's very likely to be selected into the Hall of Fame one day, even Suggs knows that it isn't guaranteed that he will be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
Suggs recently spoke to NFL reporter Peter Schrager and was candid on his chances of being a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. Schrager posted this on his X account:
"Just chatted with Terrell Suggs, who is eligible for the Pro Hall of Fame next year. He says he obviously wants to be first ballot, but looks at the HOF fate of a no-brainer first ballot guy like Terrell Owens (who inexplicably had to wait three years) and knows it’s never a slam dunk."
In his career, Terrell Suggs has had 886 combined tackles, 139 sacks, 202 tackles for loss, 39 forced fumbles, 15 fumble recoveries, seven interceptions, 63 pass deflections and three defensive touchdowns. He's also been named to seven Pro Bowls and was selected as an All-Pro twice in his career.
Terrell Suggs headlines a list of players eligible for the 2025 Hall of Fame
Next year's Hall-of-Fame class will certainly be special and there may be some first-ballot Hall-of-Famers. Joining Terrell Suggs as eligible potential first-ballot Hall-of-Famers are: quarterback Eli Manning, running back Marshawn Lynch, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and offensive lineman Marshal Yanda.
Manning is a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who's also been a two-time Super Bowl MVP and has been named to four Pro Bowls in his career. He has thrown for over 57,000 yards in his career.
Lynch is a one-time Super Bowl champion who's been named to five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He's rushed for 85 touchdowns and over 10,000 yards in his career.
Kuechly is a seven-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro who is also a Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has over 1,000 tackles in his career.
Vinatieri is a four-time Super Bowl champion who has been named to three Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. He has an NFL record 599 field goals made.
Yanda was an eight-time Pro Bowler who was selected to seven All-Pro teams. He played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2007-2019 and started 166 career games.