Patience would be an appropriate word to describe the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class. Randy Gradishar waited 35 years until he finally received his gold jacket and bronze bust. Steve McMichael waited 24 years until his career was finally immortalized in Canton, Ohio.
While their waits are finally over, there are still a slew of eligible former players who are still waiting for their call to Canton. Many deserving players have been passed over because they played for a small market team; other players were overshadowed by more celebrated teammates or counterparts. For whatever the reason, there are numerous deserving players who are still hoping to earn a spot in football immortality.
With that in mind, we decided to put together a list of the top-20 most deserving careers that are not in the Hall of Fame.
20. QB Joe Theismann
Team: Washington (1974-85)
Given that it’s the Pro Football and not the NFL Hall of Fame, Theismann’s qualifications for Canton should include being a two-time All-Star in the Canadian Football League (he initially chose the CFL over the NFL due to money).
Theismann didn’t become a full-time starter in the NFL until age 29, but he quickly made up for lost time, leading Washington to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances that included the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. He won league MVP honors in 1983 while leading an offense that set the then-NFL record for points in a season.
19. QB Phil Simms
Team: Giants (1979-93)
Simms’ career has been largely under-appreciated, probably because of the fact that he played in the same era as Joe Montana, John Elway, and Dan Marino along with the fact that he started his career with a Giants franchise that was in disarray. But the arrival of Bill Parcells did wonders for Simms and the Giants.
After a slow start to his career, Simms played at a Pro Bowl level during the late ’80s and helped lead the Giants to the franchise’s first Super Bowl. In that game (a 39-20 win over Elway’s Broncos), Simms completed a Super Bowl record 88% of his passes.
18. WR Steve Tasker
Teams: Oilers (1985-86); Bills (1986-97)
One of the greatest special teams players in NFL history, Tasker earned seven Pro Bowl nods from 1987-95. During that span, Tasker helped the Bills become the first franchise to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls.
Tasker’s brilliance was on display during the opening minutes of Super Bowl XXVII. With the Cowboys punting from their own 16-yard line, Tasker was lined up against linebacker Robert Jones, a rookie who filled in for an injured starter. Jones didn’t have a chance against Tasker, who beat Jones on an inside move before blocking Mike Saxon’s punt. Tasker’s play set up the game’s first touchdown.
17. WR Otis Taylor
Team: Chiefs (1965-75)
A player who was truly ahead of his time, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Taylor was one of the first receivers to fully use his physicality to his advantage. In 1965, Taylor spurned the NFL (he was drafted by the Eagles with the 203rd pick in the NFL draft) to play for the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. In his second season, Taylor led the AFL in average yards per catch while helping lead the Chiefs to the first-ever Super Bowl. The AFL’s leader in touchdown catches the following season, Taylor helped the Chiefs capture their first Super Bowl win at the end of the 1969 season. His 46-yard touchdown sealed Kansas City’s 23-7 win over the Vikings, the last game ever played between the rival leagues.
Taylor’s transition to the NFL was seamless after the two leagues merged in 1970. A year after the merge, Taylor led the NFL in receiving yards while earning All-Pro honors. He earned Pro Bowl honors again in 1972 at the age of 30.
16. WR Anquon Boldin
Teams: Cardinals (2003-09); Ravens (2010-12); 49ers (2013-14); Lions (2016)
Boldin never looked back after he won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2003. He continued to churn out productive seasons for the following dozen years while being a key contributor on several Super Bowl teams. It’s often forgotten that Boldin was Joe Flacco’s primary target when the Ravens captured the 2012 Super Bowl.
One of the most strongest wideouts ever, Boldin’s numbers are certainly worthy of Canton. His three Pro Bowl and zero All-Pro nods are likely the main reasons why he is still waiting.
15. DE Jim Marshall
Teams: Browns (1960); Vikings (1961-79)
A valued member of Minnesota’s “Purple People Eaters” defensive line, Marshall holds numerous NFL records, including the most seasons played by a defensive player (20, along with Junior Seau and Darrell Green), most consecutive games by a defensive player (282), most consecutive starts by a defensive player (270), and most career fumble recoveries (30). Marshall, who was still a starter at age 42, helped the Vikings win three NFC titles along with the NFL championship in 1969.
14. LB Tommy Nobis
Team: Falcons (1966-76)
Atlanta’s first draft pick, Nobis played on just two winning teams during his 11-year tenure with the Falcons. Despite his team’s lack of success, Nobis earned the recognition of his peers, earning five Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro nod during his first seven seasons.
Named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1966 by Sporting News, Nobis recorded a whopping 294 tackles that season. That total is not only a Falcons’ franchise record, it is unofficially the the most tackles ever credited to a player in NFL history, according to the Falcons’ team website. Nobis’ early success earned him a place on the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1960s.
13. OLB Pat Swilling
Teams: Saints (1986-92); Lions (1993-94); Raiders (1995-96, 97)
A key member of the Saints’ “Dome Patrol” defense, Swilling was one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers during the late 1980s and into the ’90s. He earned five consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 1989-93 and was tabbed as an All-Pro three times over that span. Swilling won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1991 after leading led the NFL with 17 sacks. He retired with 107.5 sacks.
12. WR Steve Smith Sr.
Teams: Panthers (2001-13); Ravens (2014-16)
Smith’s extreme competitiveness more than made up for his 5-foot-9, 195-pound frame. A key member of the Panthers’ 2003 Super Bowl team, Smith overcame a significant injury in 2004 to win Comeback Player of the Year after lading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches in 2005. Smith tallied eight 1,000-yard seasons and is one of 14 players with at least 1,000 career receptions. He’s currently eighth all-time with 14,731 career receiving yards.
11. OL Joe Jacoby
Team: Washington (1981-93)
A key member of the “Hogs,” Jacoby helped Washington win each of its three Super Bowl titles. A Pro Bowler each season from 1983-86, Jacoby’s blocking helped John Riggins rush for a then Super Bowl record in Washington’s win over Miami in Super Bowl XVII. A member of the NFL’s All-1980s Team, Jacoby helped protect Super Bowl MVPs Doug Williams and Mark Rypien in Super Bowls XXII and XXVI.
10. QB Jim Plunkett
- Teams: Patriots (1971-75); 49ers (1976-77); Raiders (1979-86)
This is a controversial pick in that Plunkett was never a Pro Bowler. But one could argue that no player in NFL history has enjoyed a better career resurgence than Plunkett, and his story should be one that’s on display in Canton.
A former No. 1 overall pick, Plunkett toiled on awful teams for years and was unfairly typecast as a bust. He accepted a backup job in Oakland at age 32, a year after not playing in a single regular seaosn game. A year later, an injury thrust Plunkett into the starting lineup. What followed was an historic rise for both Plunkett and the Raiders. He won Super Bowl MVP that season while the Raiders became the first wild card team to win it all.
Plunkett helped lead the Raiders to a second Super Bowl win (an historic upset over defending champion Washington) three years later. He is the only eligible two-time Super Bowl-winning starting quarterback that is not in the Hall of Fame.
9. DE L.C. Greenwood
Team: Steelers (1969-81)
A key member of Pittsburgh’s “Steel Curtain” defense, Greenwood earned six Pro Bowl nods (and two first-team All-Pro honors) from 1973-79. A menacing pass rusher, Greenwood sacked Roger Staubach a record four times in the Steelers’ Super Bowl X victory over the Cowboys. The 6-fo-6 Greenwood also had a penchant for batting down passes; he did that on three occasions during the Steelers’ Super Bowl IX win over the Vikings.
8. LB Clay Matthews
Teams: Browns (1978-93); Falcons (1994-96)
A four-time Pro Bowler, Matthews spent 16 of his 19 NFL seasons with the Browns, helping Cleveland win five AFC Central division titles during the 1980s. Matthews retired with 69.5 career sacks, 27 forced fumbles and 14 fumble recoveries. He also led the NFL in tackles on four different occasions. One of Matthews’ best seasons did not result in a Pro Bowl selection. In 1984, Matthews led the league with 126 tackles while also posting 12 sacks and three forced fumbles. Matthews’ play was a major reason why the Browns appeared in three AFC Championship Games from 1986-89.
While he has yet to receive the call to Canton, Matthews was inducted into the Browns’ Ring of Honor in 2019.
7. CB Lester Hayes
Team: Raiders (1977-86)
Known during his playing days as “The Judge,” Hayes was a dominant shut down defender who earned five straight Pro Bowl nods from 1980-84. Hayes won Defensive Player of the Year in 1980 while leading the NFL with 13 interceptions. Hayes helped the Raiders win their second Super Bowl that season. Three years later, he teamed up with Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes to shut down Washington’s talented receiving corps in Super Bowl XVIII. Hayes is a member of the NFL’s All-1980s Team.
6. RB Roger Craig
Teams: 49ers (1983-90); Raiders (1991); Vikings (1992-93)
The only running back on this list, Craig played an integral role in the 49ers’ success during the 1980s. A four-time Pro Bowler and member of the NFL’s All-1980s Team, Craig became the first player in league history to have 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in the same season (1985). A three-time Super Bowl champion, Craig became the first player to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl during the 49ers’ win over the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX.
5. WR Sterling Sharpe
Team: Packers (1988-94)
While an injury cut his career short, Sharpe did plenty of damage during his seven-year career. A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Sharp led the league in receptions three different times. He also led the NFL in touchdown receptions on two separate occasions. In 1992, Brett Favre’s first season as the Packers’ starting quarterback, Sharpe led the NFL in receptions (108), yards (1,461) and touchdowns (13).
4. WR Hines Ward
Team: Steelers (1998-11)
The Steelers’ all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns, Ward is also eighth all-time in career postseason receiving yards (1,181). Three of Ward’s four consecutive Pro Bowl selections came with different quarterbacks: Kordell Stewart (2001), Tommy Maddox (2002-03) and a rookie named Ben Roethlisberger (2004). In 2005, Ward won Super Bowl MVP honors while helping lead Pittsburgh to its fifth Super Bowl victory. He was the Steelers’ No. 1 receiver when Pittsburgh defeated the Cardinals three years later in Super Bowl XLIII. Ward is considered the most physical receiver of his era.
3. QB Ken Anderson
Team: Bengals (1971-86)
The Bengals’ all-time leading passer, Anderson’s boom under Bill Walsh’s “West Coast” offense set the stage for Walsh’s success with Joe Montana in San Francisco. A four-time Pro Bowler, Anderson led the NFL in completion percentage three times. He also led the NFL in passing yards in consecutive seasons. In 1981, Anderson won both league MVP and Comeback Player of the Year while leading the Bengals to their first Super Bowl.
2. WR Torry Holt
Teams: Rams (1999-08); Jaguars (2009)
A seven-time Pro Bowler and member of the NFL’s All-2000s Team, Holt played an integral role on the Rams’ 1999 championship team. The league’s leading receiver on two separate occasions, Holt was the Rams’ No. 1 receiver when St. Louis made a return trip to the Super Bowl in 2001.
1. WR Reggie Wayne
Team: Colts (2001-14)
A six-time Pro Bowler from 2006-10 and in 2012, Wayne led the NFL in receiving yards in 2007. His 53-yard touchdown catch during the previous year’s Super Bowl helped the Colts win the franchise’s first Super Bowl following their move from Baltimore to Indianapolis. Wayne was Peyton Manning’s No. 1 receiver when the Colts made it back to the Super Bowl in 2009.
Despite Manning’s departure in 2012, a 34-year-old Wayne earned Pro Bowl honors that season while catching passes from a rookie quarterback named Andrew Luck.
