On Saturday, five people were officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald, and Adam Vinatieri. All of those players are more than deserving of the honors.
It’s been a little bit since we’ve seen a Detroit Lion on stage accepting their induction. If we’re talking about players who are Lions more than any other NFL franchise, Calvin Johnson was the last to be inducted back in 2021. Technically, Dwight Freeney was the last one in 2024.
Let’s use this space to talk about the Lions’ future in the Hall of Fame. Today’s Question of the Day is:
Who will be the next Lions player inducted into the Hall of Fame?
My answer: For simplicity’s sake, let’s just talk about players who spent a large portion of their career with the Lions. So not players like Anquan Boldin.
The Lions have been trying to make a push for Lomas Brown, and he finally broke through to become a semifinalist for the 2026 class. It’s hard to imagine him getting further in the voting process after the 2026 push, but it’s quite possible he makes it in as a senior candidate after his last year of modern-era eligibility (2027).
Beyond that, we should probably have the Matthew Stafford conversation. While Stafford did not have Hall of Fame credentials when he left Detroit in 2021, he is certainly a viable candidate now with a Super Bowl under his belt and an MVP award from last year. You can certainly squabble whether he should be considered a Ram or Lion upon induction, but it’s looking more and more like he’s headed for Canton—especially if this year’s Rams team meets expectations.
If we want to limit the conversation to current Lions players, Penei Sewell feels like the safest candidate. He’s already a three-time First Team All Pro player, and he’s just 25 years old. Amon-Ra St. Brown has a pretty good case, as well, with four Pro Bowls and two First Team All Pros at just 26 years old.
Jared Goff deserves to at least be in the conversation, but I don’t think he has the resume yet to get in. If he, like Stafford, can add at least a Super Bowl ring and an MVP to his candidacy in the next few years, he’ll deserve to be considered. But he’s just not there yet.
So, if we count Stafford, I think he’s next. If not, I’m guessing Sewell.
Who do you think will be the next Lions player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Which players do you think will eventually head there? Share your answers in the comment section.
