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The 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class could be a big one for the Indianapolis Colts. Wide receiver Reggie Wayne will get another crack at enshrinement after being a finalist three straight years. Plus, defensive end Dwight Freeney will be on the ballot for the first time as well.
But NFL writer Adam Rank of NFL.com does not predict it to be a fairytale ending for either Colts player. At least not this coming year.
Rank predicted that neither Wayne nor Freeney will be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. He wrote that wide receivers Torry Holt and Andre Johnson along with outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware would receive enshrinement instead.
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Freeney, Wayne to Fall Short of Hall Induction in 2023?
To be clear, it’s not that Rank argued Wayne or Freeney don’t deserve to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His article was a mere attempt to predict who the voters would induct.
In somewhat shocking fashion, the Hall of Fame voters did not elect Ware in 2022 despite him having 138.5 career sacks. Ware led the NFL in sacks twice and made first-team All Pro four times.
The 2022 ballot was Ware’s first opportunity to be inducted. With Ware falling short in his first opportunity, Rank inferred that indicates something about Freeney’s chances in 2023.
“Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney will be eligible for the first time in 2023, but with nine-time edge rusher DeMarcus Ware not getting in on his first try earlier this year, I’m not confident Freeney is going to be part of the Class of 2023,” wrote Rank.
As for Wayne, Rank mentioned him as a finalist for this past class but nothing else. Rank didn’t even acknowledge him on his “Should get in” but won’t list for 2023. Instead of Wayne, the wide receiver on the “Should get in” but won’t list was Steve Smith Sr.
Predicting the 2023 Hall of Fame Class
Five modern-era players are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame every year. Again, Rank predicted three of them to be Holt, Johnson and Ware.
Rank wrote the other two spots are very likely to go to offensive tackle Joe Thomas and cornerback Darrelle Revis. He called both of those players “near locks” to receive induction in their first years of eligibility.
If Rank’s predictions are correct, the Colts will have a former player going into the Hall of Fame next year in Johnson, but he only played one season in Indianapolis. Johnson played a majority of his career for one of the Colts’ top rivals, the Houston Texans.
Johnson posted 1,062 catches, 14,185 receiving yards and 70 touchdowns. He made first-team All Pro twice and seven Pro Bowls.
Holt didn’t play as many seasons as Johnson but racked up 920 receptions, 13,382 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns. He made first-team All-Pro once and seven Pro Bowls.
Both Johnson and Holt led the NFL in receiving yards twice.
Wayne can hold his own in a conversation with either of those potential inductees. Wayne posted 1,070 catches, 14,345 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns. He made first-team All Pro once, led the NFL in receiving yards once and took six trips to the Pro Bowl.
Freeney isn’t far behind Ware in terms of career accolades either. Freeney made first-team All Pro three times and seven Pro Bowls. He also recorded 125.5 sacks — just 13 behind Ware.
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