Of the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024, former Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson is one of seven gridiron greats to have made it this far at least three times.

It's just one reason why it feels like this should be the year Anderson finally gets his gold jacket.

Willie Anderson was First-Team All-Pro three years in a row with the @Bengals from 2004-06.

He is a Finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2024. pic.twitter.com/aWbBRMPwOJ

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) December 28, 2023

Willie Anderson's Career Accolades 

Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way. Anderson is considered one of the greatest run-blocking offensive linemen to ever step on a football field. As good as he was paving the way for nine 1,000-yard rushers, he also shut down the game's best edge rushers from the right tackle spot. Anderson played 15 games against nine of the top 11 all-time sack leaders, and Bruce Smith was the only one to register a sack against him.

On the surface, three All-Pro honors and four Pro Bowl honors may not seem that illustrious, but you must factor in the position Anderson played. Right tackle has historically been viewed as the lesser of the two tackle spots, and All-Pros and Pro Bowls used to go offensive tackles regardless of which side of the formation they manned. Left tackles would dominate the process thanks to the "blindside tackle" narrative.

From 2003-06, the only right tackle to make the Pro Bowl was Anderson. There were 13 left tackles who received the honor in that timeframe. The only right tackle other than Anderson to make an All-Pro list from 2004-06 was Jon Jansen, who was named Second Team in 2005. 

There has only been ONE right tackle to make four-straight Pro Bowls and three-straight All-Pro lists in the last 40+ years. It's Anderson. 

No. 71 for the Orange and Black was so good at his position that he broke a barrier. That's Hall of Fame-worthy on its own, but Anderson's case gets even better.

Hall of Fame Offensive Lineman Finalists 

There's only two this year including Anderson, the other being former New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans. This is Evans' first time as a finalist in just his second year of eligibility. 

Exactly one offensive lineman has been enshrined in each of the last five Hall of Fame classes, and multiple were finalists in those years. Anderson has watched Tony Boseli and Joe Thomas go in the past two years he's been in the final 15. Boseli was a finalist for several years, and Thomas was universally recognized as first-ballot player.

It's nearly impossible to get two linemen in the same class, and Anderson might have the upper hand against Evans due to being a part of this process longer.  

Repeat Hall of Fame Finalists

Reaching the final 15 before the cutdown to five means your name has been in the conversation the longest amongst the voters. Your career accolades, impact, and everything else that goes into getting a bust of your face has been deliberated along with the other worthy candidates. 

This is Anderson's third year in a row making it this far, meaning his name has been in the conversation for a while now. Only Torry Holt (5), Reggie Wayne (5), and Jared Allen (4) have been finalists more in recent years.

But unlike Anderson, none of those finalists have been eligible for this honor longer than him.

Willie Anderson's Hall of Fame Eligibility 

This is the 11th year Anderson has been eligible for enshrinement, tying him with Rodney Harrison for the third-longest wait time among finalists. Only Eric Allen (18th year) and Darren Woodson (16th year) have waited longer, and Anderson has been a finalist more times than any of them.

It's all adding up to Anderson's best chance at breaking another barrier and joining Anthony Munoz and Ken Riley as the only Bengals legends immortalized in Canton.

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