Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and postseason kicker hero Adam Vinatieri are among the initial nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2025 class.

The Hall announced 167 modern-era inductees to the class on Wednesday, including 16 players who became eligible this year, including two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda.

A selection committee will whittle down the list of nominees to 50 players next month. Then the 50-member selection committee will trim the list to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl, where the new class will be determined. Players must receive 80% of the vote to be inducted. According to Hall of Fame bylaws, between three and five players can be inducted as modern-era inductees.

There will also be three senior candidates grouped with a coach and a contributor. A minimum of one and a maximum of three of these finalists will be shortlisted by voting.

The other first-time candidates are offensive linemen Travis Frederick, Ryan Kalil and Joe Staley, running backs Marshawn Lynch and Darren Sproles, receiver Demaryius Thomas, tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker, and defensive backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib and Earl Thomas.

In addition, ten players who were finalists a year ago are being considered again. Tight end Antonio Gates, receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne, offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans, defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison, defensive lineman Jared Allen and running back Fred Taylor are back on the list.

Manning will try to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall of Fame after a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was selected first overall in the 2004 draft by the Chargers and traded to the Giants, where he spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset victory over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl after the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.

Four years later, he led another late touchdown charge that beat Tom Brady and the Patriots. Manning is one of 13 quarterbacks to win multiple Super Bowls, with eight of the nine eligible for the Hall of Fame being inducted.

Only Jim Plunkett was not included; newer players in this category such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes are not eligible.

Manning was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, but never made the All-Pro team and never led the league in any major statistical category in a single season. However, he finished his career with 57,023 passing yards and 366 touchdowns.

His best moments came in those two postseason runs. Manning is the only multiple winner of the Super Bowl MVP award alongside Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two).

Kuechly and Suggs were among the best defensive players of their time. Kuechly was named the best defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.

Kuechly’s career was short but impactful. The Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick in 2012 was a five-time All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowl selection and Defensive Rookie of the Year honor in his eight-year career.

Over the course of his eight-year career, Kuechly was the NFL’s best linebacker in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defended (66).

Suggs has been one of the league’s best pass rushers over the course of his 17-year career, and his 139 sacks are the eighth-best mark since statistics began in 1982.

In his 16 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Suggs recorded seven seasons with double-digit sack numbers, including 14 in 2011, when he was voted the league’s best defensive player and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.

He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in Kansas City, where he helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.

Vinatieri was one of the best kickers in NFL history, scoring the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New England’s dynasty.

He helped get the run going with one of the game’s most spectacular kicks – a 42-yard kick in the snow that forced overtime in a tuck rule game against the Raiders in the 2001 Divisional Round. He made the game-winning kick in overtime of that game and a 44-yard kick on the final play of a 20-17 Super Bowl win over the Rams.

Two years later, he caught a 41-yard pass that gave the Patriots a 32-29 victory in the Super Bowl against Carolina. Vinatieri also won the Super Bowl with New England in 2004 and with the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 season.

Vinatieri is the NFL’s all-time leader in points (2,673) and field goals made (599) in his 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He is also the postseason’s all-time leading player with 56 field goals and 238 points.

Yanda was a key to Baltimore’s success as a member of the 2010s All-Decade team. He was also selected to the All-Pro second team five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his final seasons. He missed the 2017 season, playing in just two games due to injury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.