Is Steelers former wide receiver Hines Ward a Hall of Fame snub?

Hines Ward was a legend in Pittsburgh, but should the former Steelers wide receiver be considered a Hall of Fame snub?

When fans attend the NFL Hall of Fame ceremonies this fall, they will welcome Alan Faneca, and Troy Polamalu, postponed from 2020. However, one member of the Steelers will still not a member of the Hall of Fame. That distinction belongs to Hines Ward.

In Hines Ward’s case, there is no case to be made. The Hall of Fame voters have deliberately snubbed Hines Ward. There have been 11 wide receivers who began their career after 1980 and landed in the Hall of Fame. Of those, only Jerry Rice truly surpassed any of Ward’s stats.  Rice is the greatest wide receiver of all time, bar none.  So taking Jerry Rice out of the discussion leaves ten other wide receivers elected to the Hall of Fame over Hines Ward. Who are the other ten receivers to land in the Hall of Fame in front of Hines Ward? Tim Brown, Issac Bruce, Cris Carter, Marvin Harrison, Michael Irvin, Calvin Johnson, Art Monk, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Andre Reed.

So of those 10, when you look at Hines Ward stats combined with the other ten, it’s painfully apparent that voters have deliberately snubbed Hines Ward.

Games played:

Let’s start with games played. Hines ward has 217 games played.  Of the other ten, only Andree Reed, Art Monk, Issac Bruce, and Tim Brown played more games than Hines Ward. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss played the same amount of games, and the remaining played less than Ward.