Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis and Dwight Freeney are finalists in their first year of eligibility for the 2023 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The 15 modern players who will be considered by the selection committee later this month include returning finalists DeMarcus Ware, Patrick Willis, Zach Thomas and Andre Johnson.
Six other recurring finalists were announced Wednesday, with Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Ronde Barber, Devin Hester, Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne returning to this stage.
Defenders Albert Lewis and Darren Woodson made it to this stage for the first time, with Lewis reaching the semifinals in 2013 and Woodson making it six times.
A maximum of five modern players may be selected for induction into the Canton, Ohio Hall in August. The nominees will be announced on February 9 on NFL Honors, the prime-time TV show where The Associated Press announces their individual honorees for the 2022 season.
The committee will also consider former Chargers and Cardinals coach Don Coryell in the coaching category and three senior contenders: Super Bowl V MVP Chuck Howley and All-Pro defensemen Joe Klecko and Ken Riley.
Joe Thomas was one of the league’s top tackles in his 11-year career, during which he was selected as a first-team All-Pro six times and a second-team twice. He had a streak of 10,363 straight games while playing for the Browns throughout his career.
Revis, who also appeared in the 2007 draft, moved around a lot more and spent time with the Jets, Tampa Bay, New England and Kansas City.
His best streak came in New York, where he was a first-team All-Pro from 2009-11 and finished second in the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year picks when he repeatedly shut down top receivers by knocking them out after “Revis Island.” sent.
Revis spent a year in New England helping the Patriots win the Super Bowl in the 2014 season.
Freeney spent most of his 16-year career at Indianapolis, where his ledge speed and dominant spin move resulted in a career 125 1/2 sacks. He anchored a defense that complemented a strong offense led by Peyton Manning and helped the Colts win the Super Bowl after the 2006 season.
Ware, a four-time All-Pro, led the Cowboys in sacks for eight seasons, led the NFL in sacks twice and won a Super Bowl with Denver after the 2015 season. He finished with 138 1/2 sacks and became the NFL’s all-decade team in the 2000s.
Johnson made the All-Pro team twice during a strong time for wide receivers. He twice led the league in receptions and courts. He finished his career with 1,062 receptions for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns received.
Two of his contemporaries, Holt and Wayne, are also in the finals. Holt was selected to the NFL All-Decade team in the 2000s and won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 1999. Wayne retired in the postseason as the second-best NFL receiver of all time with 93 catches and won a Super Bowl with the Colts.
Zach Thomas and Willis were among the best linebackers of their time, each earning five-time All-Pro honors.
Hester is the rare finalist who has made his name primarily on special teams. He opened the 2007 Super Bowl for Chicago with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the only time this has happened in Super Bowl history. Hester was a three-time All-Pro, a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team in the 2010s, and one of two return specialists on the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
Anderson was considered one of the best tackles in the game for 13 years with Cincinnati and Baltimore and made three All-Pro rosters.
Allen was a four-time All-Pro who led the NFL in sacks twice (2007, 2011) while playing for the Chiefs, Vikings, Bears and Panthers.
Barber was one of the tightest cover cornerbacks in the league during his 16 seasons in Tampa, where he also played some safety. A key to Tampa-2’s defensive system, Barber was a three-time All-Pro and a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team in the 2000s. He led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2001 and won a Super Bowl the next season.
Woodson was a three-time All-Pro safety who helped Dallas win three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s.
Lewis was a star cornerback for 16 seasons with Kansas City and the Raiders with two All-Pro nods and 42 career interceptions.
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