Biggest Hall of Fame snub for all 32 NFL teams

PASADENA, CA- JANUARY 9: Jim Marshall #70 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the bench against the Oakland Raiders during Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Raiders won the Super Bowl 32 -14. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

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Steve Smith Sr., Carolina Panthers. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

Carolina Panthers

Notable Hall of Fame Snub: WR Steve Smith Sr.

Few expected Smith to have a 15-year career when the Panthers took him in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft but Smith developed into a legend thanks to his incredible toughness. Smith became the heart and soul of some strong Carolina teams in the 2000s, earning five Pro Bowl appearances as he racked up nearly 15,000 receiving yards on 1,031 catches over the course of his career.

The main issue for Smith has been a logjam at the receiving position in recent years that the Hall of Fame has been slow to sort through in order to recognize stars at other positions. Smith should get in at some point over the next few years but the fact he isn’t a Hall of Famer already is a product of the strange system that places artificial limits on the number of inductees per year.

Chicago Bears

Notable Hall of Fame Snub: C Jay Hilgenberg

A key member of the Bears’ offensive line in the 1980s, Hilgenberg was the anchor of the unit for a decade. A member of the 1985 Bears team that steamrolled to victory in Super Bowl XX, Hilgenberg was right up there with Mike Webster and Dwight Stephenson as one of the NFL’s top centers of his era.

Hilgenberg has received Hall of Fame consideration in the past but hasn’t gotten over the hump, likely in part because very few true centers have been admitted to Canton. It would be nice to see Hilgenberg be considered in the future as a senior candidate.

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