Mike Tomlin petitions for former Steeler's HOF case

Two former Steelers were named Modern Era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024. But head coach Mike Tomlin believes one is long overdue to be inducted into football immortality.

"Hines [Ward] is like John Lynch to me. Stats don't tell their story," Tomlin said. "Ask the men who played football against them. Hines was a football player first, and a receiver second."

It's certainly high praise by Tomlin, but he has a point. Lynch was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021 while Ward has failed to become a finalist for seven straight years.

Ward played for Pittsburgh, which was a predominantly run-first team, for his entire career, and he still finished with impressive numbers.

Ward ended his career with 12,083 receiving yards, which ranks 27th all-time ahead of Hall of Famers Michael Irvin (11,904) and Calvin Johnson (11,619). He also had 1,000 receptions, ranking 14th all-time ahead of Hall of Famers Randy Moss (982) and Andre Reed (951) and Ward's 85 receiving touchdowns rank 19th all-time ahead of Johnson (83) once again.

He didn't just produce for the Steelers during the regular season either, posting 1,181 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his postseason career. Ward also helped Pittsburgh win two Super Bowls and was named the MVP of Super Bowl XL.

Ward's intangibles must be considered as well. He was voted to four Pro Bowls and was arguably one of the best, if not the best, blocking receivers in NFL history.

The Hall of Fame's 50-person Selection Committee will select the Class of 2024 in advance of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Only time will tell, but Tomlin and many others are surely hoping the eighth time's a charm for Ward.