NFL fans can now breathe easier after a handful of players were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The inductees include players like Peyton Manning and Jim Brown, who are enshrined in the Hall of Science and are joined by Hall of Famers such as Jim McMahon, Joe Montana, Brett Favre and the late Jerry Rice.
Among the other names included in the induction are Hall of Famer Ron Wolf, who played for the San Diego Chargers from 1974 to 1987, and Hall of Sportsman Joe Tressel, who served as a coach with the St. Louis Rams from 1988 to 2003.
A total of 13 players were selected in the 2016 class, including six first-round picks, including the Patriots’ Marcus Mariota.
The Patriots picked the Tennessee Titans’ Marcus Cooper, who is also a former NFL star, and the Dallas Cowboys’ Rodger Saffold, who has been linked to several NFL coaching vacancies.
The Patriots, who had a losing record in 2016, have gone through the draft process without drafting a player in the first round since 2006.
This marks the first time since the late 1980s that the Patriots have not drafted in the top 10 since then.
The Hall of Heroes inductees are:• Joe Montana: The Hall of Pro Football’s all-time sack leader.
Montana was inducted in 2014, but it was not until this year that he was inductee number 1.• Brett Favres: The NFL’s all time leader in passing touchdowns, and his 10 Super Bowl rings are the most in NFL history.• Joe Gibbs: The coach of the Green Bay Packers for seven seasons.• Mike Ditka: The head coach of his first Super Bowl team.• Dan Marino: The longtime NFL quarterback and Hall-of-Famer.• Jeff Garcia: The New York Giants offensive coordinator and Hall Of Fame cornerback.• Roger Staubach: The Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator and NFL Hall Of Famer.
The former Dolphins offensive coordinator, who led the team to four Super Bowls, retired in 2017 after 13 seasons with the team.
The Bears, who finished last in the NFC North with just one victory, are the only team to have been in the playoffs each of the past two seasons.
The Bears also finished the 2016 season with a record of 1-9.
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, left, with his wife, Candice, and daughter, Charlotte, after the Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers.
The team is one of four in the NFL to finish 0-16.
Chicago has made its last playoff appearance since 1999, and has been without a winning season since the 2008 season.
The Broncos are the other team to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
The Falcons, who have had the worst record in the league, finished the regular season 2-14, the worst in the history of the franchise.
Atlanta lost quarterback Matt Ryan to the New York Jets.
The Rams, who lost the NFC West to the Green Beret Packers, are now 4-4 and sit in the second wild-card spot.
They are one win shy of the second playoff spot in the division.
The Saints have gone from losing five straight to winning five of their last six games, including a 26-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Superdome on Sunday.
The Saints lost quarterback Drew Brees to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, and they are now 5-3.
The Jets, who were 5-10 last season, have won two of their past three games, winning in Detroit on Sunday to extend their winning streak to five games.
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, right, celebrates a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints.
The Jets won 24-23.AP ImagesAP Photo/Alex BrandonAP Photos/Alex DeBrincatAP Photo / Alex DeBrindreThe NFL announced the inductees on Monday, a week before the start of the regular preseason schedule.
The Pro Football Writers of America and Associated Press named the inductee winners.
Here is the complete list of the 2017 NFL Hall of Honor winners:AP Photos AP ImagesAP Photos
