The two biggest reasons that Eli Manning was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year were Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. He came up huge both times he played in the NFL's ultimate game, and both times his team won.
Without those outcomes, he wouldn't have much of a case for Canton. But that's the power of the Super Bowl when it comes to the Hall of Fame.
It's the one game that can turn an NFL player's legacy completely around.
While there's already plenty at stake in Super Bowl LIX, there might be even more on the line for certain members of the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. A handful of their players and coaches figure to be finalists for the Hall of Fame someday. And when the selection committee is deliberating over their accomplishments and how they measure up to other all-time greats, every big-game performance and every championship will help.
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So, who can boost their legacy most this Sunday? Here are 10 Super Bowl participants — five from each team — who are at various stages of the Hall of Fame path.
CHIEFS
5. DC Steve Spagnuolo
No one has ever been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame based primarily on their work as an assistant coach, but Spags might be the one to finally break that glass ceiling. He is already the only coordinator to win four Super Bowl championships, and the only one to win with two different franchises (he also won with the 2007 Giants). His work in turning the Chiefs defense into a top-10 unit is a big reason why this dynasty is still rolling (and could complete the first three-peat).
His one head coaching stint was a disaster (10-38 with the Rams from 2009 to 2011), and it seems unlikely he'll get another shot in the big chair, although he did interview with two teams in this cycle. But a fifth ring as a defensive coordinator has to get the selection committee's attention. His bust would belong right next to Andy Reid's.
4. DL Chris Jones
His greatness tends to be overshadowed by all the stars in Kansas City, and by the fact that his career has largely overlapped with Aaron Donald. So, it certainly could be helpful to remind everyone of his greatness on Super Bowl Sunday. He's on a Hall of Fame track, with 80.5 career sacks, six Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro nods.
That résumé would already generate good discussion from the committee, but it might take him a few years to get enough votes. One way to change that is with a big game in the biggest moment. He has just 3.5 sacks in 21 career playoff games, and none in four Super Bowls. A big performance and a fourth ring on Sunday could go a long way once he's nominated.
3. TE Travis Kelce
He's slowing down at age 35 and retirement is looming, but he's already done more than enough to secure his place in the Hall of Fame — probably on the first ballot. He is one of the greatest receiving tight ends in the history of the NFL, ranking third in receiving yards (12,151) and fifth in touchdowns (77). He also obviously has the same remarkable championship run that Reid and Mahomes have, but he hasn't exactly been carried along for the ride.
In four Super Bowls, he's averaged eight catches for 88 yards, and he's averaged 7-69 in seven AFC Championship Games. He shows up in the big games. Doing it again on Sunday night might not just lock in that first-ballot vote but have some calling him the greatest to ever play his position.
1B. HC Andy Reid
There was a decent case to be made that Reid was a Hall of Famer just based on his 14 years in Philadelphia, but the second act of his coaching career has been so much better than his first. He probably clinched a spot in Canton when he led the Chiefs to a championship in 2020, but now he's as big of a lock as his quarterback. He's coaching in his sixth Super Bowl, winning three (so far). He's coached in 12 conference championship games, including the last seven in the AFC.
The conversation surrounding Reid doesn't concern the Hall of Fame. It's about where he stacks up among the greatest football coaches of all time. If the Chiefs win on Sunday, he'll join Bill Belichick (6) and Chuck Noll (4) as the only coaches to win the Super Bowl four times. He's also the fourth-winningest coach in NFL history (273). With Mahomes in tow, Don Shula's all-time wins mark (324) can be had if Reid wants to stick around long enough to break it.
1A. QB Patrick Mahomes
If Mahomes decided to retire before kickoff, he'd still be a lock to make the Hall of Fame in five years. That's how good he's been in his short career. He's already led the Chiefs to seven AFC Championship Games in seven years as a starter, and gotten them to the Super Bowl in five of the past six years, winning three (so far).
If he becomes the first quarterback to three-peat in the Super Bowl — in both the game and as MVP — he's going to challenge Tom Brady's status as the Greatest of All Time. And by the way, he's still only 29 years old. Pretty soon, Canton will have to build him his own wing.
EAGLES
5. CB Darius Slay
From 2017 to 2023, Slay was one of the best corners in football. He was selected to six Pro Bowls in that seven-year span and even led the league in interceptions once (with 8 in 2017). But that was also his only All-Pro year, and so far he has yet to win a championship.
Basically, while his overall career has been very, very good, it needs something to nudge it into greatness. Winning a Super Bowl won't be enough. But if Slay has a big game in the Super Bowl — think multiple interceptions or MVP consideration — that will be something the voters remember. This just can't be the final game of his career.
4. HC Nick Sirianni
This is probably premature, and some might even find it laughable considering there was some thought that he might be fired after last season's collapse. But if Sirianni wins a Super Bowl at age 43, he is absolutely on the Hall of Fame watch list. Granted, he's got a long way to go since he's only in his fourth season as a head coach and longevity is going to matter to the voters. But his four-year résumé will include two trips to the Super Bowl, four trips to the playoffs and a spectacular 48-20 regular-season record.
So, securing this first championship could be huge considering he'll theoretically have plenty of time to win another one. Nine of the 14 head coaches who won two Super Bowls are in the Hall, with Bill Belichick and Andy Reid on the way.
3. WR A.J. Brown
There's no doubt Brown is off to a terrific start in his career with five 1,000-yard seasons in his first six years in the NFL. But in this era of offensive explosion, he's got to keep that up for a while to have a shot at the Hall. His 7,026 career receiving yards ranks 162nd in NFL history, so he's really only halfway there. And even if he keeps this pace for another 6-7 years, he's going to have to do something to separate himself from a pack of Hall-worthy receivers from his generation. That's where a big game in the Super Bowl can help.
Brown played well in the Super Bowl two years ago (6 catches, 96 yards and a touchdown), but he's had just one 100-yard performance in 11 career playoff games. Doing something spectacular on the big stage could get the HOF convo started.
2. RB Saquon Barkley
Though he was anointed as a "gold-jacket player" by former Giants GM Dave Gettleman before he was even drafted, he had no shot at Canton based on his first six years in New York. But all it took was one season in Philadelphia behind an offensive line that could actually block to remind everyone just how good he can be. Barkley, in fact, is just 30 yards from breaking Terrell Davis' record for the most rushing yards in a single season (2476, including playoffs).
Granted, as good as Saquon was this season, he'll need to string together a few more All-Pro-type seasons to warrant serious consideration. But he is most responsible for the Eagles' success this season. If he can finish the job and lead them to a championship, it'll open a lot of eyes on the committee and put him back on the fringe of the gold-jacket conversation again.
1. OT Lane Johnson
The evaluation of offensive linemen tends to be in the eyes of the beholder, and there are no guarantees when they actually get to the committee. Right tackles have an even steeper challenge considering they're not considered the premium position player on the line. But Johnson's case will be helped by the fact that he's emerged as one of the best — if not the best — right tackle in the game over the past four years.
It will also help that the Eagles' line has been generally acknowledged as the league's best in that span and that its center — the now-retired Jason Kelce — will probably lead the charge into the Hall. But for linemen, every line on the résumé helps. Johnson already has one Super Bowl ring. Another — especially if the line is a key component of the victory — could help put him over the top.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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