For the fifth consecutive year, former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas has been named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame announced their 28 modern-era semifinalists for the 2023 class. Thomas has been a finalist each of the last three years, so this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
While Thomas is the only member of this year’s semifinalist list that spent time with the Dolphins, the class is full of great players like defensive end Dwight Freeney, wide receiver Andre Johnson and safety Rodney Harrison.
The linebacker joins defensive back Ronde Barber, wide receiver Torry Holt, wide receiver Hines Ward and defensive back Darren Woodson as players who have been on the list at least five times.
Thomas played 13 seasons in the NFL, 12 of them with the Dolphins. In his career, he totaled 1,734 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 17 interceptions, and 16 forced fumbles. He was named to seven Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-Pro selection five times.
With such a talented group of individuals being named semifinalists along with him, there’s no guarantee that he gets in, but he has as good of a shot as any of the other 27.
