Next year's Pro Football Hall of Fame candidates include stars like Adrian Peterson, intrigue with Bill Belichick and Antonio Brown

Hall of Fame weekend is a chance to celebrate some of the biggest stars from NFL history who are being enshrined in Canton, Ohio. This year's class was particularly strong.

Next year's group of candidates have some no-doubt entries, and some figures who will garner plenty of debate. And maybe a mistake will be fixed and Bill Belichick will get in after being one of the most egregious snubs ever.

There are two players who seem like locks to be first-ballot picks: Adrian Peterson and Rob Gronkowski. Ben Roethlisberger also seems like a good bet to get in on his first year of eligibility. After that, there are some big names who will be debated, maybe for a few years.

An intriguing list of candidates

Here are some of the top candidates who are eligible for the first time in 2027: Peterson, Roethlisberger, Gronkowski, Richard Sherman, Cam Newton and Andrew Whitworth.

Oh, and Antonio Brown.

Antonio Brown is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Elsa via Getty Images

Brown is probably the most intriguing name on the list. There's really no debate about the numbers. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro and a member of the Hall of Fame's all-decade team of the 2010s. He was unstoppable in his prime with the Pittsburgh Steelers and got a Super Bowl ring with the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And we all know there's much more to the story.

Brown's off-field issues became a big story upon his trade from the Steelers to the Raiders in 2019 and haven't really stopped. Brown started his clock to Hall of Fame eligibility when he quit on the Buccaneers in the middle of a game against the Jets, stripping off his jersey and shoulder pads and gesturing to the crowd as he left to the locker room. There's no questioning the talent, but he's a divisive figure. Other star receivers, most notably Terrell Owens, had to wait to get voted into the hall. Presumably Brown will too despite a resume that is undeniable.

Brown will be a hot-button topic when the 2027 class is announced. But it probably won't be more debated than Belichick's snub.

Bill Belichick was snubbed this year

Earlier this year, everyone who follows the NFL was shocked when Belichick wasn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Perhaps there were politics behind the scenes due to Spygate. Regardless of the reason, it was embarrassing for the Hall of Fame selectors that Belichick, who has six Super Bowl rings as a head coach and two more as a defensive coordinator, was left out. Presumably Belichick won't be passed over again, though it was stunning that it happened once.

Peterson, Gronkowski and probably Roethlisberger should be easier calls. Peterson is one of the greatest running backs ever, and the last non-quarterback to win NFL MVP. Gronkowski has an argument as the greatest tight end ever. Roethlisberger is a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion.

Sherman also has a great argument as a three-time first-team All-Pro for the Seahawks, and a member of the 2010s all-decade team. Newton was NFL MVP in 2015 though longevity will work against him. There are also great players still waiting, most notably receiver Torry Holt.

It will be a fun, crowded class next year. And there will be plenty to talk about once it's announced next February.