On Monday morning, four very deserving players were named to be a part of the first class of the expansion of the Carolina Panthers' Hall of Honor. But although the rafters of Bank of America Stadium were sure to one day include Steve Smith, Jake Delhomme, Wesley Walls, and Jordan Gross, not all fans necessarily got what they wanted.

Following the announcement of the Hall of Honor Class of 2019, there were some who advocated for certain players who were left out - Specifically defensive end Julius Peppers, who was not included despite becoming one of the top players at his position in NFL history. In a report by Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, insight was offered into the exact criteria that was used to determine the Hall of Honor class, and what can be expected moving forward.

Speaking with the Observer, Panthers historical and alumni affairs director David Monroe stated that discussions over who to add to the Hall of Honor began in the Fall of last year, and was such, it was decided by Monroe and the Panthers' five-person committee on the class that players who were active during the 2018 season would not be eligible for the Class of 2019. This excluded Peppers, as well as now-retired All-Pro center Ryan Kalil.

"These aren’t final, but we are leaning toward guidelines that say a player must have played for Panthers for at least three seasons and will also need to be retired from the NFL for at least two years," said Monroe. "We also will consider in future years including coaches, front office personnel and staff for the hall of honor."

The adoption of more formal criteria for the Hall of Honor is a notable change, as eligibility was decidedly informal for much of the Panthers' early history. Players were added to the Hall of Honor at the discretion of founding owner Jerry Richardson, and the only known criteria was that players would be eligible for induction five years after their retirement. In addition to the adoption of more formal criteria, members of the Hall of Honor will no longer receive statues - as linebacker Sam Mills and team president Mike McCormack did. Instead, busts will be made of each Hall of Honor inductee, which will be displayed on the 100-level concourse of Bank of America Stadium.

In the selection of players for the Panthers' Hall of Honor, Monroe conceded that there were some tough decisions that had to be made. And given that, several all-time great Panthers did not make the cut for the first Hall of Honor class: Among them kicker John Kasay, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, wide receiver and return specialist Michael Bates, cornerback Chris Gamble, linebacker Kevin Greene, and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.

Monroe stated that there wouldn't necessarily be a new Hall of Honor class every season, and that any new classes could contain as little as one member. However, he stated that it was "safe to say" that the Panthers wouldn't wait 21 years before inducting new members into the Hall of Honor - The amount of time that has elapsed since the induction of Sam Mills into the Hall of Honor in 1998.