This month of the year is when the Pro Football Hall of Game releases the list of finalists to be inducted prior to the Super Bowl. It was scheduled to be done earlier in the week, but they made the correct decision of postponing the announcement for what happened with Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills.
Being part of the Hall of Game is the ultimate honor for a player. Of course, winning an NFL ring is probably the first thing in mind. Although getting this reward could top that since you also enter the history of the sport.
There were 15 finalists selected to be in the 2023 class. The whole evaluation started with 129 nominees in September before reducing that amount to 28 semifinalists in November. Now all of them are in the final filter of the process to be in Canton, Ohio next month.
Who are the 15 finalists to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
One topic that is usually discussed when these announcements are made is the year of eligibility of each player. For example, this time there are three players that could be selected in their first possibility. Dwight Freeney, Darrelle Revis and Joe Thomas are those whose careers finished just five years ago.
But there are cases where a long wait has happened. That’s what occurs with Albert Lewis, who is a finalist for the first time despite having been eligible for the last 20 years. The other situation like that is Darren Woodson with 15 years of eligibility.
The list of 15 finalists
Jared Allen
Willie Anderson
Ronde Barber
Dwight Freeney
Devin Hester
Torry Holt
Andre Johnson
Albert Lewis
Darrelle Revis
Joe Thomas
Zach Thomas
DeMarcus Ware
Reggie Wayne
Patrick Willis
Darren Woodson