LAS VEGAS _ Bengals Ring of Honor member Willie Anderson’s third straight trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame finals ended with another miss here Thursday night when the 2024 class was announced at NFL Honors.
But it was his closest call yet as Hall-of-Famers and voters alike sense the time is near for the player considered the best right tackle in the turn-of-century NFL.
“I think he’ll get in at some point,” said Bengals Hall of Fame left tackle Anthony Munoz this week here at the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Chiefs and 49ers.
“There is momentum building for him. There should be momentum building for him.”
The list of seven inductees is headlined by two pass rushers in Julius Peppers with a first-ballot nod and Colts playmaker Dwight Freeney and his 125.5 career sacks. It’s another brick in Anderson’s case anchored by his sterling efforts against the top sackers who lined up over him and not on the traditional left side of the offense.
Also in the class are record-breaking returner Devin Hester, wide receiver Andre Johnson, one of 12 men to have at least 14,000 career yards, and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, a five-time All-Pro in eight seasons.
Rounding out the class are senior candidates Randy Gradishar, an NFL Defensive Player of the Year who roamed at linebacker for the Orange Crush Broncos, and the Bears’ Steve McMichael, whose 95 sacks are the most ever by a nose tackle.
It’s the first time in seven years an offensive lineman won’t get inducted, extending the drought for a right tackle to 18 years. But indications are Anderson’s wait for a bust in the Canton, Ohio shrine could be close to over.
Andrson advanced from the final 15 of modern-era finalists to the top ten for the first time in the balloting of the 50-member selection committee, of which Bengals.com is the Cincinnati selector.
“That 330 number scares me about as much as my blood pressure being…
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