2013 NFL Hall Of Fame Finalists: Priest Holmes Becomes Available Next Year

The Kansas City Chiefs got one player into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend and they're hoping for at least one next year. Willie Roaf was announced as the newest inductee into Canton on Saturday, and Will Shields will be eligible again next year. But he'll have some company as longtime Chiefs running back Priest Holmes will also be eligible for Hall voting for the first time in 2013.

Holmes needs no introduction to Chiefs fans with the incredible numbers he was able to put up while he played for the team. After four mediocre years in Baltimore, Holmes came alive in the Chiefs' offense. In fact, he led the league in total rushing touchdowns for consecutive seasons with a combined 48 in 2002 and 2003. Overall, Holmes ran for 8,172 yards in 10 seasons in the NFL with 86 rushing touchdowns. He also had 2,962 receiving yards and another 8 touchdowns through the air.

Still that might not be enough compared to the longevity of other careers. Michael David Smith writes over at Pro Football Talk, "Holmes put up great rushing numbers but is probably a long shot considering that more qualified running backs in Bettis and Martin were voted down."

Of course, that came before today's announcement that Martin is now in the Hall of Fame. That means that there's only one guy in front of Holmes and the two were very different backs. In fact, Holmes featured more dynamic seasons than Bettis, so he might have a better chance than what Smith is giving him.