The Pro Football Hall of Fame has become a topic of debate among fans across the entire league. Players that many believed should be in are not, and just as many who shouldn't be are. This is the case for one former Miami Dolphins player.
Bob Kuechenberg has all the needed statistical requirements to be enshrined, but still to this day, long after his passing, Kooch is still not in the HOF. He won't be elected this year either.
The Senior Committee released the names of their nine semi-finalists for the 2026 class, but the Dolphins don't have Kooch, and they don't have Mark Clayton either.
HOF committee once again snubs Bob Kuechenberg for enshrinement, and it's ridiculous
For 14 years, Kuechenberg started for the Dolphins. He was on the field for all three of their early 1970s Super Bowls, including the undefeated '72 team. He was even on the team for their Super Bowl loss to the Redskins.
Reliability was the biggest key for Kuechenberg. He rarely missed games throughout his career, and while he only played in nine the year before he retired, he started 15 of the 16 games he played in 1983 when he returned to the Pro Bowl for the 6th time.
Kooch was a 1st team All-Conference player four times and a 2nd team AC four times. In 1978, he earned First Team All-Pro honors. Still, his name has not been called.
Following his football career, and to a degree while he was playing, Kooch butted heads with the media often. He was constantly critical, especially about his inclusion in the HOF. That rubbed a lot of the voters the wrong way, and his window closed quicker than most.
It's hard to imagine that he will ever get into the Hall of Fame. His name is remembered by fans, and it also adorns the Ring of Honor at Hard Rock Stadium. A constant reminder of how good he truly was. It's a shame that will probably be the only recognition he receives. That's the sad part; most fans will never know his name or his legacy. Kuechenberg passed away in 2019.
It will be a long drought for Dolphins fans. Only three former players stand out as possibilities. Kuechenberg, Mark Clayton, and Richmond Webb. Of the three, you could argue that Webb is the most deserving, but it would be close.