Zach Thomas SHOULD be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on Thursday
As the best linebacker in Miami Dolphins history and one of the best in NFL history; Zach Thomas not being in the Hall of Fame is an abomination.
On Thursday the NFL will announce who from this year’s Hall of Fame nominees is inducted into Canton. Here are the nominees: Darrelle Revis, Joe Thomas, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, Zach Thomas, Dwight Freeney, Albert Lewis, Ronde Barber, LB Patrick Willis, and Darren Woodson.
Amongst all of these nominees, Zach Thomas has to be one of the players inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“I have coached, recruited or drafted 16 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Zach Thomas is without question as deserving as all of them” – Ex Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson.
That is quite the quote from a Hall of Fame coach. Every Dolphins fan knows that Zach Thomas should be in the Hall of Fame.
His numbers compared to other Hall of Fame linebackers who played around the same time like he did he has just as good, if not better number than them. Zach Thomas is every bit as good as Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis, and Derrick Brooks.
The NFL did not start tracking tackles until the 2001 season, which is absurd. From 2001 to 2006, before all the injuries started to pile up, he never finished lower than third in tackles across the league. He averaged just under 157 tackles a year during that span.
In that span, Lewis averaged 138, Brooks averaged 117, and Urlacher averaged 123. Thomas is one of the best tacklers in the history of the NFL. Playing the middle linebacker position is all about being able to get off blocks and tackle. Thomas did that better than anybody over his career.
The reason behind his delayed Hall of Fame introduction is because of his lack of winning. He never played in a Super Bowl. He never even played in an AFC Championship game.
It is frustrating that that is held against him. Football is the ultimate team sport. you can have the best middle linebacker in the league, but if your secondary is not good or your offense can not score it does not matter.
Plus, the Hall of Fame is about individuals, not teams. Thomas was selected to seven Pro-Bowls and five All-Pro teams. He was also selected to be on the 2000s All-Decade team.
He has the stats, he has the individual accomplishments, and I would like to think that the NFL community knows he has been held out of Canton for too long.
Hopefully, on Thursday, February 9, 2023, Thomas is finally recognized and given his flowers as he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.