Left tackle Joe Thomas, defensive end Dwight Freeney and cornerback Darrelle Revis made the cut as finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.
The 15 modern era finalists were announced Wednesday night, with 12 holdovers joining the newcomers.
Returning to the ballot are defensive end Jared Allen, tackle Willie Anderson, cornerback Ronde Barber, wide receiver/returner Devin Hester, linebackers Zach Thomas and Patrick Willis, defensive end/outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, safety Darren Woodson and wide receivers Torry Holt, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.
Thomas spent his entire NFL career (2007-17) with the Cleveland Browns. He was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and a six-time All-Pro, and his ironman streak of appearing on 10,363 consecutive snaps is the record since the NFL began tracking the stat in 1999.
Freeney played with the Indianapolis Colts (2002-12), the then-San Diego Chargers (2013-14), the Arizona Cardinals (2015), the Atlanta Falcons (2016), the Detroit Lions (2017) and the Seattle Seahawks (2017). A seven-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro, Freeney was part of Indianapolis’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2006-07. He finished with 125.5 sacks and 47 forced fumbles in 2018 games.
Revis received seven Pro Bowl nods and four All-Pro selections during his career with the New York Jets (2007-12, 2015-16), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), the New England Patriots (2014) and the Kansas City Chiefs (2017). He had 29 interceptions and 139 passes defensed in 145 games.
The 2023 Hall of Fame enshrinees will be revealed on Feb. 9 ahead of the Super Bowl. Also on the ballot are senior committee finalists Joe Klecko, Chuck Howley and Ken Riley as well as coach/contributor Don Coryell. The induction ceremony is scheduled for August in Canton, Ohio.
–Field Level Media