Julius Peppers headlines Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2024 class, Antonio Gates misses cut

LAS VEGAS – Julius Peppers is in. Antonio Gates must wait.

It's no surprise that Peppers, the former defensive end who ranks fourth on the NFL's all-time list with 159 ½ sacks earned selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot. Peppers, who starred for the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears during a 17-year NFL career, has the rare distinction of being chosen to an All-Decade Team for two decades.

He headlines a 2024 class that includes Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis and Dwight Freeney as modern-day candidates. Randy Gradishar and Steve McMichael were chosen as seniors candidates for the seven-member class, which was revealed on Thursday night during the NFL Honors show.

Among the Hall of Fame merits:

• Peppers, a nine-time Pro Bowl pick, is the only player in NFL history to post 100 sacks and 10 interceptions. His 52 forced fumbles rank second in NFL history (Robert Mathis, 54). 
• Hester, the greatest kick returner in NFL history, is fittingly the first primary returner selected to the Hall. The former Bears star, elected on his third time as a finalist, has the most kick-return touchdowns in NFL history (19).
• Freeney, a former Super Bowl champion with the Indianapolis Colts, was a two-time finalist who generated 125 ½ career sacks.
• Johnson, the former Houston Texans dynamo, is one of only three players during the Super Bowl era to lead the NFL in receiving yards in consecutive seasons (along with Jerry Rice and Calvin Johnson). He was a three-time finalist.
• Willis played eight seasons as a San Francisco 49ers linebacker and earned five first-team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods. A two-time NFL leader in tackles, he was elected on his fifth time as a finalist.
• Gradishar, the face of the "Orange Crush" defense for the Denver Broncos during the 1970s, was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1978. A seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker, he never missed a game during his 10-year career.
• McMichael is the fourth member of the '80's-era Bears defense chosen to the Hall, following Mike Singletary, Richard Dent and Dan Hampton. Although he earned just two Pro Bowl selections in 15 seasons, his 95 sacks rank fourth all-time for defensive tackles.

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Gates, however, was a notable omission as the only other first-ballot finalist besides Peppers. The former San Diego Chargers star, who blossomed after transitioning from a college basketball career, caught more touchdowns (116) than any tight end in NFL history.

Other finalists bypassed included seniors candidate Art Powell, who starred at receiver in the AFL for the New York Titans and Oakland Raiders; and Buddy Parker, who coached the Detroit Lions to consecutive NFL titles during the 1950s.