Defender became a finalist for the Hall of Fame after having a cup of coffee in Detroit.
Out of the fifteen contemporary contenders for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class, Dwight Freeney has advanced to the finals.
Most people associate Freeney with the years he spent wreaking havoc with the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2012. However, he played for five different teams, including the Detroit Lions, for five games in his last NFL season.
After being selected as one of the 25 semi-finalists last month, Anquan Boldin, who also played his final year with the Lions, failed to advance for the second year in a row. Buddy Parker, a former player and head coach of the Lions who won two titles in this area as head coach and one as a player, is a finalist in the senior class of 2024 as a coach and contributor.
Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, Devin Hester, Rodney Harrison, Antonio Gates, Jahri Evans, Willie Anderson, Eric Allen, Darren Woodson, Patrick Willis, Reggie Wayne, Fred Taylor, Julius Peppers, and Andre Johnson are the other contenders. The two first-year eligible players to make the team are Gates and Peppers.
The NFL Honors ceremony on February 8 will feature the unveiling of this year’s final class. Up to five players from this group will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. To make the final cut, each inductee needs to get at least 80% of the vote.
During the course of five games and 128 snaps with the Lions in 2017, Freeney recorded no-counting stats. Don’t let that fool you, though; for the most part of his career, he was one of the most disruptive game-wreckers.
He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro, a Super Bowl champion, and a member of the 2000s all-decade squad in the Hall of Fame by the time his career ended. Throughout his remarkable career, Freeney has also placed in the top three for defensive player of the year twice.
Over the course of his 16-year career, the defense saw time with the Colts, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, and Lions before making his reputation with the latter team. With 125.5 sacks, Freeney is ranked 18th all-time in the official standings.
