The Pro Football Hall of Fame game kicked off the season on Thursday night with a thrilling battle between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers. Now, the focus shifts to the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The 2026 HOF class included: Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Roger Craig, and Adam Vinatieri. It was a long time coming for Craig, as he last played in the NFL in 1993. Many suggested that the rushing yard total (8189) is what kept Craig out, but the voters finally decided it was time to let the dual-threat running back in.
Speaking of players who have been waiting forever, three wide receivers who rank in the top 14 in receiving yards are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here are those three receivers who should have gold jackets.
The Cardinals got an absolute steal late in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft when they selected Anquan Boldin. The former Florida State Seminole burst onto the scene with 101 catches, 1377 yards, and eight touchdowns during his rookie campaign. That earned him unanimous NFL Rookie of the Year honors, receiving all 50 votes. Boldin had at least 80 catches and 1,000 yards in five of his seven seasons in Arizona, and helped lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2008.
While Boldin and the Cardinals came up short in that championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he got another opportunity four years later with the Baltimore Ravens. This time, things would be different as Boldin helped the Ravens capture the Lombardi Trophy. Boldin had six grabs for 104 yards and a TD in that championship game versus the San Francisco 49ers, capping off an incredible playoff run.
Boldin stayed productive in the latter portion of his NFL career. After the SB run with Baltimore, he joined the San Francisco 49ers and had two years with over 80 catches and 1,000 yards. Even at age 36, with the Detroit Lions, he had nearly 70 receptions. Boldin finished his career with 13,779 receiving yards (14th-most) and set the record for the fastest to reach 400 and 500 receptions. Although he may not have all the accolades, his longevity and production are probably Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy.
Similar to Bolin, former Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne was often overshadowed while playing alongside Pro Football Hall of Fame wideout Marvin Harrison. While Wayne spent his first six NFL seasons as the number two, he proved that he could be the option one when given the opportunity. In 2007, Harrison appeared in five regular-season games due to a knee injury, which resulted in a career year for Wayne in his expanded role. Wayne led the league that year with 1510 receiving yards, added ten touchdowns, and earned second-team All-Pro honors.
Wayne is currently tenth all-time with 14,345 receiving yards, has six Pro Bowl selections, made first-team All-Pro at age 32, and is a Super Bowl Champion. The case could be made that Wayne is currently the biggest Pro Football Hall of Fame WR snub, but the next person on this list may have a bigger gripe.
Two spots ahead of Wayne on the NFL receiving yardage list, with 14,731, is Steve Smith Sr. In his 16-year NFL career, the man known as Agent 89 made five Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro appearances (one as a returner). Smith also won the receiving triple crown in 2005, leading the league in catches (102), yards (1563), and touchdowns (12).
Perhaps one thing that has held Smith back is the lack of “eye-popping” numbers outside of 2005. That was his only season with at least 90 catches and double-digit TDs. Smith went over 1,000 yards eight times, however, and even had 70 grabs for 799 yards in year 16 at age 37.
Smith has the Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver numbers, but being inducted can extend beyond what happens between the lines (fair or not). There were many times during his career when Smith was labeled as the bad guy. Additionally, the former Utah Ute was the center of an affair accusation, which obviously did not help with the image issues he was already labeled with. The response did not help the public perception either, as Smith did not feel the need to “apologize on a private matter to a whole bunch of strangers.”
Smith is unapologetically himself, and he probably will not change to appease others. At the end of the day, though, the numbers are the numbers, and they are Hall of Fame worthy.
Now, with Boldin, the pushback is the zero All-Pro selections during his 14-year NFL career. This is a case where you have to focus on his production, however, and not the accolades. Boldin entered into an era that had Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Harrison. There was also Andre Johnson, who was in the same draft class as Boldin, and then Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson showed up.
The point is that there just were not enough All-Pro spots to go around. As great as Fitzgerald was, he had one first-team All-Pro selection and two second-team selections in 17 seasons.
Wayne’s time should come at some point. Not only are all the numbers there, but he had multiple seasons that jumped off the screen, so to speak. There were four seasons Wayne had at least 100 grabs, one of which came at age 34. Outside of Smith, Wayne is the only 14,000-plus-yard receiver who is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With his resume, that should change eventually.
Despite perhaps having the strongest case out of the three receivers mentioned in this rant, Smith may be the furthest away. Simply put, some people are not a fan of him as a person, and sometimes that is all it takes. That was the case with Owens, who was a clear first-ballot Hall of Famer on paper, but was not selected until the third time around.
Each of these former NFL greats has enough on their resume to receive a gold jacket. Sometimes it takes longer than expected or what is fair, however, to get that famous knock on the door. Perhaps they will be able to stand on that stage in Canton, Ohio, one day, but only time will tell.
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