Which NFL Team Has the Most Hall of Famers?

For years, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers were neck-and-neck in a competition to claim the most members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Bears have pulled ahead in recent years — and this Saturday’s enshrinement ceremony will help Chicago build upon the lead.

The seven-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 includes two players who spent most of their careers with the Bears: defensive tackle Steve McMichael and return specialist Devin Hester. A third member of the class, defensive end Julius Peppers, played four seasons with Chicago. Of course, Peppers also played four years in Green Bay, so he also helps the Packers maintain their status at No. 2 on the list of teams with the most Hall of Famers.

Six franchises have at least 32 players immortalized in Canton. Most of them have been around since the NFL’s infancy, which makes sense. One of these franchises, however, wasn’t born until 1960, so its presence on this list is impressive.

Here are the franchises with the most Hall of Famers, including the class of 2024:

Chicago Bears (39)

Chicago has held this distinction since the doors first opened in Canton. Three Bears were part of the Hall’s inaugural Class of 1963 — coach/owner George Halas, halfback Red Grange and fullback Bronko Nagurski. Legends like Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus followed. McMichael is the sixth player from the dominant 1985 Bears team to be enshrined, joining Jimbo Covert, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Walter Payton and Mike Singletary.

Green Bay Packers (34)

Recent additions like Brett Favre and Leroy Butler join inaugural Class of 1963 inductees Don Hutson and Curly Lambeau, the coach whose name adorns Green Bay’s legendary stadium. But it’s Vince Lombardi and his all-world team of the 1960s that cements the Packers’ place on this list. No fewer than 13 Hall of Famers played for Lombardi in Green Bay. The 1962 NFL champion Packers featured 11 members: Herb Adderley, Willie Davis, Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Henry Jordan, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke, Jim Ringo, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor and Willie Wood.

Dallas Cowboys (32)

The Bears and Packers had been playing pro football for four decades before the Dallas Cowboys became an NFL franchise in 1960, which hammers home just how star-studded America’s Team has been through the years. The three men who built this expansion team from scratch — coach Tom Landry, general manager Tex Schramm and personnel guru Gil Brandt — are all in Canton, as is the first player they ever drafted, defensive lineman Bob Lilly. The Cowboys’ first great run produced the likes of Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett and Randy White. The team’s dynasty of the ’90s saw Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Charles Haley and Jimmy Johnson enshrined.

Pittsburgh Steelers (32)

Despite having joined the NFL in 1933, the Steelers did not have a rich early history — they only made the playoffs once before 1972. But the Pittsburgh dynasty of the ’70s sent head coach Chuck Noll to Canton along with 10 players: Mel Blount, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert, Donnie Shell, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann and Mike Webster. Pittsburgh added to its legacy in the ’90s with Jerome Bettis, Rod Woodson and Dermontti Dawson, and then in the 2000s with Troy Polamalu and Alan Faneca.

New York Giants (32)

Dating back to 1925, the Giants franchise boasts Hall of Famers from every era. Two-way star of the 1930s Mel Hein was part of the inaugural Class of 1963, as was original owner Tim Mara. Wellington Mara, Tim’s son and successor, followed suit. The Giants’ tradition of defensive excellence has lasted decades — from Sam Huff to Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor to Michael Strahan. Note: The Giants could break this four-way tie for the third-most Hall of Famers next year, when Eli Manning will be eligible for the first time. Let the debate begin.

Washington (32)

Slingin’ Sammy Baugh and original owner George Preston Marshall were members of the inaugural Class of ’63. Joe Gibbs, who coached three Super Bowl winners with three different quarterbacks, was inducted in 1996, followed by four stalwarts from Gibbs’ run: Darrell Green, Russ Grimm, Art Monk and John Riggins.

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