Former NFL wide receiver Cris Carter had a blunt take in regards to Hines Ward's case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Carter, who's in the Hall of Fame, doesn't think Ward belongs in the Hall.
"Hines Ward, only 85 touchdowns, only four Pro Bowls. Those numbers right there are hard to overcome. If he had 1,000 catches, 100 touchdowns? The MVP in that Super Bowl, it helps. He just doesn't have the numbers," Carter recently said on his Fully Loaded podcast. "He had a very good career. No one went to Pittsburgh and put together a game plan being like, 'Guys, we've gotta double-team Hines Ward.' He was a good player for a good team, very consistent, very physical, a lot of intangibles, but look at the guys we've got waiting. Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne. He's not in the same stratosphere as those guys. It's a lot of good receivers out there, but let's separate between the good and the great. Hines Ward is in the good category."
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward at the Resilience Bowl on May 21, 2024. — Steelers Now/ Ed Thompson
Ward failed to advance to become a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the 10th consecutive year that Ward has been a semifinalist, but failed to advance to the finalist stage. three other former Steelers did not, including former semifinalist James Harrison .
Ward was among the 26 semifinalists announced by the Hall of Fame for the Class of 2026. That list was be cut to 15 finalists that will be voted on by the full Hall of Fame selection committee votes on the class in February.
Ward's 14-year NFL career was spent carving out a role as one of the most physical players on the Steelers, even as a wide receiver. The Korean-born Ward won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh and was the MVP of Super Bowl XL after his game-sealing touchdown reception. Ward was named to four Pro Bowls, was a three-time All-Pro and is on the Steelers' All-Time Team. He is currently serving as the wide receivers coach at Arizona State.
Ward is the only receiver with more than 12,000 career receiving yards and two Super Bowl wins that has not been elected, but he also played in an era with more dominant receivers — never being voted a first-team All-Pro at any point in his career.
Alan Saunders contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Has Bold Take on Hines Ward: 'He's Not in the Same Stratosphere'
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