Examining Alan Faneca's Snub From 2020 Hall of Fame Class, Chances for 2021
There's no denying the imprint the Pittsburgh Steelers have on the 2020 Hall of Fame class. Former coach Bill Cowher was the first person of the 2020 class to learn of his induction into Canton, with safeties Donnie Shell and Troy Polamalu following in his foot steps. Three Steelers had their dreams realized over the last two weeks, a sweet feeling for them and the millions who have rooted them on from the city of Pittsburgh.
Yet many fans can't shed the sour taste from the exemption of Alan Faneca, who played thirteen seasons in the NFL, ten of which in Pittsburgh. Faneca, widely regarded as the best offensive guard during his time in the league, has received numerous spoken endorsements from players, coaches and writers alike.
With nine consecutive Pro Bowls, six first-team All-Pro nods (two second-team years as well), a Super Bowl championship and a spot on the NFL's 2000's All-Decade Team, it's hard to envision Faneca on the outside looking in towards football immortality.
What's keeping Faneca from induction?
2020 Was Almost* The Year
Many analysts thought 2020 was the year Faneca would finally get in the Hall of Fame after failing the previous four years. With what some considered to be a "weaker" class than normal, the odds appeared to be in Faneca's favor. However, when the five nominees were listed, Faneca once again was left to wait another year.
2020 modern-day inductees included the following: Steve Atwater, Isaac Bruce, Steve Hutchinson, Edgerrin James and Troy Polamalu.
Hutchinson is the name that has many fans and writers pondering what Faneca has to do to be inducted, as he played guard in the same time frame as Faneca (2001-2012).
Faneca appears to have a better resume than Hutchinson on paper.
| Category | Steve Hutchinson | Alan Faneca |
|---|---|---|
Years Played | 12 | 13 |
Games Played | 169 | 206 |
Pro Bowl Selections | 7 | 9 |
First Team All-Pro Selections | 5 | 6 |
Second Team All-Pro Selections | 2 | 2 |
NFL 2000's All-Decade Team? | Yes | Yes |
Not to discredit Hutchinson, as he had a very similar career to Faneca. Yet when there is a lack of analytics to prove linemen worthy of induction, one must rely off the categories listed in the table above.
Gary Meyers of Sports Illustrated wrote a terrific piece on the selection process of the 2020 class, with insight from somebody on the committee. It appears Faneca was extremely close, but that's what separates the "hall of good" from the Hall of Fame.
"Faneca’s chances Saturday were likely hurt by the previous selection at the January meeting of Cowher and safety Donnie Shell as a senior and Polamalu’s presence" said Meyers. "There might have been a reluctance from the voters to have four Steelers among the 20 inductees."
What about the previous four years?
Lack Of Love For Linemen?
Excluding 2020, Faneca has been eligible for four seasons. From 2016-2019, a total of two modern-day offensive linemen have been inducted into the Hall of Fame (Kevin Mawae in 2019 and Orlando Pace in 2016). Two senior inductees (players that did not originally get elected in their first twenty years of eligibility) include Jerry Kramer in the 2018 class, and Dick Stanfel in the 2016 class.
After induction of the 2019 class, the Pro Football Hall of Fame currently holds 326 members. Of those 326 inductees, 62 were offensive linemen. From the 46 modern era linemen, 19 are listed as guards. Four of those 19 played past the year 2000, with two guards (Bruce Matthews and Randall McDaniel) ending their careers in 2001.
Case in point, there's not exactly a wealth of offensive guards etching their name in Canton.
This can be viewed as good or bad. With a general lack of fresh offensive linemen, one could foresee Faneca's troubles continuing. On the other hand, Faneca was so dominant at his position that if a linemen is to be considered, he would be the first name brought up.
It's a tricky road to navigate when discussing the greatness of offensive linemen, let alone trying to compare them to skill position players that have data to prove how dominant they were. In some cases, those cases are also comparing different times as well. Like NFL.com's Jim Trotter pointed out, Will Shields had to wait four years to be enshrined, despite going to 12 straight Pro Bowls and starting 223 of 224 games.
It appears that struggle may continue for other great linemen in the future.
What Does 2021 Look Like For Faneca?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducts 4-8 new members every year. 2019 and 2018 saw a full 8 members inducted, although a handful of each class includes senior players, owners or contributors. 2020's class included five modern-era inductees, and we'll use that as a baseline for 2021.
Next year presents a strong class for first ballot inductees, as the likes of Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Calvin Johnson and Jared Allen. All four of the aforementioned players have solid cases to be inducted right then and there, if not shortly after 2021.
Popular players hoping to return to the ballot as finalists alongside Faneca include Zach Thomas, John Lynch, Reggie Wayne and Tony Boselli. While no official ballots have been released, a fair share of voters have made it known Faneca was as close as anybody to securing a gold jacket.
To Meyers' earlier point, a saturation of Steelers may have prevented Faneca from getting in this time around. If we're keeping it real, that appears to be the only valid reason the voters have for not putting Faneca in. The removal of Hutchinson may bode well for Faneca's chances next season, as Faneca appears to be next up if any linemen are chosen at this point.
With Manning undoubtedly being a first-ballot guy, that leaves about four spots left. Woodson likely breaks that barrier as well, while Johnson and Allen may have to wait for their turn to wear a gold jacket. Assuming three players from 2020 are in for next year, the exclusion of Faneca would be genuinely staggering on numerous levels.
The current forecast for Faneca being inducted in 2021 looks sunny, as many writers (both regional and national) agree his induction will happen sooner rather than later. With 15 years left as a modern-era finalist, it's difficult to envision Faneca not giving a speech in Canton within the next few seasons, whether it's in 2021 or later.
