Two former Green Bay Packers had their elections to the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced during the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night. Julius Peppers, one of the most prolific pass rushers in league history, was voted for induction in his first year on the ballot. Steve McMichael, who spent most of his career with the Chicago Bears, was finally voted in by the Veterans’ Committee.
In addition to Peppers and McMichael, the 2024 Hall of Fame class included Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis, and Devin Hester. While there were more inductees announced, these three in particular were of particular interest to Packers fans.
For years, Packers fans and former players have demanded that the Hall of Fame voters/the Veterans’ Committee do the right thing and vote Green Bay legend Sterling Sharpe for induction. Sharpe fell short of being a finalist in the Senior Committee’s vote this year after being a finalist last year.
However, the elections of Johnson, Willis, and Hester indicate that voters’ tendencies are changing. If these players’ inclusions in the Hall of Fame are a sign of things to come, Sharpe will be in sooner rather than later.
Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Sterling Sharpe Should Be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The reason why Hester, Willis, and Johnson should be intriguing to Sharpe apologists is because they were elected to the Hall of Fame despite having some of the same drawbacks in the eyes of voters as Sharpe does. While their induction later this year far from guarantees that Sharpe will get in via a vote by the Senior Committee, it does help make his case stronger.
Devin Hester
Question: how many kick return specialists were ever elected to the Hall of Fame before Devin Hester was on Thursday?
Answer: zero.
The Hall of Fame voters have deviated from the norm of not voting in kick returners. While Hester was a wide receiver by trade, he had more punt and kick return yards (11,028) than career receiving yards (3,311). He also had more return touchdowns (19) than receiving touchdowns (16).
Of course, Sharpe has many more receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and receptions than Hester. Additionally, Sharpe’s 65 career touchdowns are more than Hester’s 35.
Look, Hester was a great returner; perhaps the best who ever did it. But if he is in the Hall of Fame, Sharpe most certainly should be.
Patrick Willis
One of the biggest reasons Sharpe has been held out of the Hall of Fame is because his career only lasted seven seasons. In the minds of voters, that was not a long enough career to warrant induction.
However, Patrick Willis, the former San Francisco 49ers linebacker was elected despite playing seven healthy seasons and just six games into his eighth and final season in the NFL.
Willis was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time First Team All-Pro. Sharpe was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time First Team All-Pro. While Willis’ accolades may number more than Sharpe’s, their careers are comparable in how they dominated at their positions for such a short time.
There is no reason Willis should be in while Sharpe is not.
Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson made history by becoming the first Houston Texans player to be elected to the Hall of Fame. With a 13-year career, Johnson certainly accumulated the numbers that voters look for when deciding who should be in and out of the Hall of Fame.
However, when it comes to dominance during their playing days, Sharpe was much more dominant in an era that included Jerry Rice than Johnson was in his era.
Bruce Irons of Cheesehead TV explained it best on social media:
Sterling Sharpe played 7 seasons.
Andre Johnson played 14 seasons.
Sharpe had 3 First Team All Pros
Johnson had 2 First Team All Pros.
Johnson led the NFL in catches twice.
Sharpe broke the NFL catch record twice.
Johnson’s career high is 9 TDs
Sharpe’s is 18
Hall of Fame
— Bruce Irons (@BruceIronsNFL) February 9, 2024
It is, indeed, time for the Senior Committee to get Sharpe in the Hall. It is long overdue.
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