With the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 being formally enshrined in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, attention will now to turn to the Class of 2027, where several former Pittsburgh Steelers will be on the ballot, several for the first time.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown will all be among the first-time eligible players for the 2027 class. By rule, players must be retired at least five years before they can be considered. Each of those Steelers greats last played during the 2021 NFL season.
Roethlisberger is considered a near-lock for the Hall of Fame, but it's unclear how likely he is to be elected in his first season of eligibly. No quarterback with two Super Bowl titles as a starter and a half-dozen NFL Pro Bowls has ever not made it, and Roethlisberger has both.
He's also fifth all-time in wins, seventh in passing yards, and ninth in passing touchdowns. Every eligible player inside the top 10 in each of those metrics has already been enshrined.
Roethlisberger will have substantial competition from the rest of his first-time eligible class, which also includes tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Adrian Peterson and cornerback Richard Sherman.
Bell and Brown have a lot tougher cases to make for the Hall of Fame for different reasons.
Nov 16, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) celebrates his touchdown catch with running back Le'Veon Bell (26) against the Tennessee Titans during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 40-17. — Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports
Bell has a Hall of Fame monitor score of 37.6 — lower than the lowest currently enshrined running back, Floyd Little, who has a 40.25. Hall of Fame monitor scores were developed by Pro Football Reference, taking into account championship, All-Pro selections, Pro Bowls and statistical contributions.
Brown has a much better chance, with his 104.48 monitor score above the average of all wide receivers currently enshrined. Only Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt hold higher score and are already eligible for enshrinement, but not yet are in.
With Brown, the issue is much more about his many dramatic on- and off-the-field situations, including essentially quitting on the Steelers in 2018 and actually quitting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mid-season in 2021, in addition to many off-the-field legal issues, including a pending trial for a second-degree murder charge in Miami.
The new contenders will also have to deal with a tranche of solid candidates not selected from the Class of 2026, including current Steelers assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans , Holt and Wayne, Eli Manning, Frank Gore, Terrell Suggs, Willie Anderson, Jason Witten and Darren Woodson.
Former Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood and quarterback coach Ken Anderson will also return to the ballot after they went un-selected as senior finalists in this year's class. Former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and personnel executive Art Rooney Jr. were both semifinalists.
The formal nominees for the Class of 2027 will be submitted in September.
The post Big Ben Leads Strong Steelers Contingent for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2027 appeared first on Steelers Now .
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