The 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame modern-era finalists were revealed at the end of December. A list of 122 nominees had been trimmed to 26 semifinalists in December. That list was then further narrowed to 15, of which the players elected to the Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class will be selected. There were also three further finalists proposed in the Coach, Seniors, and Contributor categories, making 18 finalists to be considered in total. Let’s take a look at the 18 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Update 02/10/22: The official selections for the Hall of Fame this year are LeRoy Butler, Bryant Young, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, and Tony Boselli.
2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists
Here are the 15 modern-era finalists for the Hall of Fame this year.
- Andre Johnson
Wide Receiver - Bryant Young
Defensive Tackle - DeMarcus Ware
Linebacker - Devin Hester
Kick Returner/Wide Receiver - Jared Allen
Defensive End - LeRoy Butler
Safety - Patrick Willis
Linebacker - Reggie Wayne
Wide Receiver - Richard Seymour
Defensive Lineman - Ronde Barber
Defensive Back - Sam Mills
Linebacker - Tony Boselli
Offensive Tackle - Torry Holt
Wide Receiver - Willie Anderson
Offensive Tackle - Zach Thomas
Linebacker
Who are the Senior, Contributor, and Coach nominees in 2022?
The Senior nomination is former Raiders WR Cliff Branch. Branch played for the Raiders between 1972 and 1986. For a player to be eligible for nomination by the Seniors Committee, their active careers must be completed for more than 25 years.
Branch had 8,685 receiving yards and 67 touchdowns on 501 receptions during his career. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and was a three-time first-team All-Pro.
In the Contributor category, former referee and NFL director of officiating Art McNally is under consideration. McNally would be the first professional football official to be considered for enshrinement by the selection committee.
Dick Vermeil is the nominated coach that is up for discussion this year. Vermeil was the head coach of the Eagles (1976-92), Rams (1997-99), and Chiefs (2001-05). As a head coach, he led the Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV and the Eagles to an NFC Conference Championship in the 1980 season.
How do the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists break down in terms of experience?
The 2022 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame include five first-time nominees. Those five are Andre Johnson, DeMarcus Ware, Devin Hester, Patrick Willis, and Willie Anderson. Hester, Johnson, and Ware are all nominated as a finalist in their first year of eligibility. Meanwhile, Willis is in his third year of eligibility and Anderson is in his ninth year.
Jared Allen, Bryant Young, and Ronde Barber are all nominated for the second time. This is Allen’s second year being eligible, while Barber is in his fifth year and Young is in his 10th.
Which players have been finalists three or more times?
There are five former players who are finalists for the third time in 2022. They are Sam Mills, LeRoy Butler, Zach Thomas, and Reggie Wayne. Much like Allen above, Wayne’s third time as a finalist comes in his third year of eligibility. Thomas is in his eighth year and has now been voted a finalist in three straight years.
Two of the players who are third-time finalists have been eligible for over 10 years. Butler is in his 16th year of eligibility and has also been a finalist for three straight years. Meanwhile, Mills is in his final eligibility year (20th). If he does not get elected this year, he will have to rely on a nomination as a Senior candidate.
When it comes to the players who have been finalists four or more times, we have players at opposite ends of the spectrum. Richard Seymour is a four-time finalist, having been eligible for just four years. Meanwhile, Tony Boselli is a finalist for the sixth time in his 16th year of eligibility. The 2022 class is Boselli’s sixth-straight time as a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist.