NFL announces modern-era finalists for Hall of Fame 2023
Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware and Darrelle Revis star as the modern-era finalists for the 2023 Hall of Fame.
The NFL announced the 15 modern-era finalists who will feature as candidates on the ballot for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Of these finalists, only five will be chosen to have their bust enshrined in Canton, Ohio.
The modern-era finalists are determined by the votes of the Selection Committee. The list started off with 129 candidates and was whittled down to just 28 in November.
The full class of 2023 will be announced during the NFL Honors, which will be broadcast on February 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and the NFL Network.
Offensive Finalists
The finalists on offense were wide receivers Torry Holt, Andre Johnson, and Reggie Wayne, plus offensive tackles Willie Anderson and Joe Thomas.
Holt shone in the NFL as a member of the Greatest Show on Turf, along with Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk. Johnson was unfortunate enough to play most of his time in the NFL with the Houston Texans, but was still able to rack up 14,185 yards and 70 TDs. Wayne spent all 14 years of his career with the Indianapolis Colts, winning Super Bowl XLI.
Anderson played 12 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and in 11 of those seasons he protected the right edge of the offensive line. Thomas was a six-time top-level All-Pro and is part of the Hall of Fame All-2010 team after 167 games with the Cleveland Browns between 2007 and 2017.
Defensive Finalists
On defense, linemen Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, and Dwight Freeney were chosen as finalists, along with linebackers Patrick Willis, Zack Thomas, and Darren Woodson and defensive backs Darrelle Revis, Ronde Barber, and Albert Lewis.
Allen was one of the most feared pass-rushers during his NFL tenure and in the 2011 season he racked up 22 sacks. The Cowboys are the biggest franchise in all of sport and at the top of that high hill, Ware holds the number one spot for most recorded sacks. Freeney’s impact on the league was immediate as in his first year, he had 20 tackles for loss and finished his career with 128.
Willis, like Freeney, put his name on a pedestal right from the start of his career with the San Francisco 49ers by leading the NFL with 174 tackles. Thomas was the banner of the Miami Dolphins defense and that earned him a part of the All-2000 Hall of Fame team.
Revis is a finalist for the first time in his career and deservedly so after being part of the four-time NFL All-Pro First Team. Barber is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ all-time leader in interceptions with 47. Lewis played 16 seasons in the NFL and this is his final year of Modern Era eligibility.
Special Teams Finalists
Special teams have always been an unsung, if key component to the NFL and Devin Hester’s legacy validates that. The kickback specialist racked up 19 scores between kickoffs and punts.