NEW ORLEANS – Congratulations are in order for Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Sterling Sharpe.

You are now forever part of the elite team honoring sports greatness.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2025 during the NFL Honors ceremony at the Saenger Theatre on Thursday night, showcasing its exclusivity. This class is the smallest in 20 years.

However, Eli Manning did not make the list.

The former New York Giants quarterback, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, was overlooked by the 49-member selection committee alongside other first-time finalists such as Terrell Suggs, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, and Marshal Yanda. Coaching finalist Mike Holmgren, along with other noteworthy long-time contenders like Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne, will also have to wait another year for induction.

Despite this, the four selected for enshrinement on August 2 in Canton, Ohio, have impressive credentials:

• Sharpe, who was selected as a seniors finalist in his 26th year of eligibility, joins his brother Shannon to become the first Hall of Fame sibling duo ever. The former Green Bay Packers wide receiver had his career cut short due to a neck injury after seven seasons. He was an All-Decade pick of the 1990s, leading the NFL in receptions three times (including an NFL record 112 catches in 1993) and surpassing 1,000 receiving yards five times.

• Gates holds the NFL record for career touchdown receptions by a tight end (116) and achieved Pro Bowl status for eight straight seasons (from 2004 to 2011), earning five All-Pro selections during his 16-year tenure with the San Diego Chargers. He was also named to the All-Decade team for the 2000s and was notably left off the first-ballot last year.

• Jared Allen, a four-time first-team All-Pro defensive end, ranks 12th in NFL history with 136 sacks. He has been a finalist five times and led the league in sacks two times—once with the Kansas City Chiefs and once during his time with the Minnesota Vikings. He shares an NFL record for the most safeties, totaling four during his 12-year career, which also included time with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.

• Eric Allen, who spent the first seven years of his 14-year NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, was a six-time Pro Bowl cornerback. He recorded 54 interceptions (tied for 21st all-time), including eight that he returned for touchdowns. In 1993, he topped the league with four pick-sixes. Allen also played three seasons with the New Orleans Saints and four years with the Oakland Raiders. He was inducted in his 19th year of eligibility.

The previous Hall of Fame class with so few inductees was in 2005 (including Dan Marino, Steve Young, Fritz Pollard, and Bennie Friedman). This is notable because every class since 2013 has featured at least seven inductees.

Why is this class so small? It seems to be a result of a revised selection process that included a final reduction vote. This meant the selection panel voted on five of the final seven modern-day candidates, with those receiving 80% of the vote achieving induction. In the past, voters simply chose from a final five and those who got 80% were elected.

Additionally, five other finalists—three seniors and one each from the coaches and contributors categories—were voted on separately from the modern-day candidates. Panel members selected three from these five finalists across the three categories, and again, those who secured 80% were inducted.

The Hall of Fame selection committee conducted its voting virtually in January to determine this class.