It’s not fun to hear. Or write. But reality is reality.
Hines Ward isn’t going to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not on this current track, anyway.
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, he’ll go down as one of the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers in history. Beloved by the fan base for his toughness, his smile, his great playoff moments and two Super Bowl rings. But Canton, Ohio? For the next decade, at least, the only way he’s getting there is if he buys a ticket.
Voters have made it clear. Ward is good but not good enough. A semifinalist for eight straight years, he again failed to crack the final 15, the list who truly get voted on and discussed one by one to determine if they’ll receive a gold jacket, bust, and football immortality.
For the past two seasons, four wide receivers have made the final 25. Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt, and Ward (there’s also Devin Hester, but his Hall of Fame credentials are based on his returns, not his receptions). And for the past two seasons, Johnson, Wayne, Holt, and even Hester, have made the finalist list over Ward. The order is clear from the perspective of who is bringing up the rear on the list. It’s Ward. He’s at the end of the logjam. He’ll have to wait for Johnson, Wayne, Holt, and Hester to get in first. This isn’t making the case against Ward. It’s a neutral stance, explaining what’s happening as opposed to whether it’s right or wrong.
Who knows when that’ll happen? Wide receiver is notorious for taking a long time to break through. The position is so flooded with talent, even great names must wait. Art Monk, Tim Brown, Andre Reed, heck, it took Terrell Owens until his fourth ballot to get in, though maybe that had to do with spiteful voters who didn’t like Owens’ antics and media treatment. So Ward will keep on waiting.
The longer he does, the harder his path will be. Not only does he have to wait for the four ahead of him, there will soon be other more modern-day receivers added to the ballot. In 2026, Larry Fitzgerald will be eligible for the first time. No questions asked, he’s getting in ahead of Ward. In 2027, Antonio Brown will be on the ballot. How voters handle that will be…interesting but he was a more dominant receiver than Ward ever was. The more Ward has to bide his time, the more he competes with players from this current passing era whose stats may be inflated but will overshadow Ward’s.
Still not all hope is lost. If there’s a silver lining, there is one path for Ward to make it. Not through the modern era list but the Senior Committee. A way to honor and recognize names often forgotten to time, the Senior Committee votes on players whose careers ended at least 25 years ago. This year’s list includes WR Art Powell (1959-1968), LB Randy Gradishar (1974-1983) and DL Steve McMichael (1980-1994).
For Ward, he’d become eligible for the Senior Committee starting in 2036. Who knows what football will look like by then, but it’ll be a far cry from the old-school and physical brand of football Ward played. That’s when a bunch of old sports writers shaking their fist at the cloud will love on Ward’s style, appreciate his game even more, and would give him an honest shot of being elected. In fact, those odds seem fairly high.
Ward could get in one day, but it’ll be another decade and it won’t come through the “traditional” path most make it. Still, Hall of Fame is Hall of Fame; Ward’s candidacy wouldn’t be lessened one bit. Just expect to wait awhile to hear his name – if it even ever happens.
