Hines Ward or Julian Edelman? Who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame? Mark Madden makes the obvious argument.

Why isn't he in the Hall of Fame?

… the numbers tell the tale


The reaction of “Yinzer Nation” was one that should have been anticipated,


Pittsburgh Steelers legend Hines Ward isn't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is a fact that's considered ridiculous to many football fans, let alone those in Western Pennsylvania.


But it may have come as a surprise to many prior to it trending on social media this week.


Ward, the all-time leading receiver in Steelers franchise history, has been brought up amid discussions of fellow former wide receiver Julian Edelman's recent retirement and potential Hall of Fame candidacy.


Football fans and analysts, including 105.9 The X's Mark Madden, have used Ward's absence from the Pro Football Hall as an argument against Edelman's chances for enshrinement.


Jason Hall, “Here is Why Hines Ward is Trending Amid Julian

 Edelman's Retirement,” Fox Sports Radio, Apr 14, 2021


Madden’s argument


Mark Madden should probably be one of the NFL Hall of Fame voters’ instead of one of those PG guys. He makes sense and is blunt about it. 


And, in this case, he makes a clear argument for the candidacy of Hines Ward in the NFL HOF,


Since New England receiver Julian Edelman quit and those in the sports media presumably whacked out of their minds on hallucinogens started making his case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the argument posed by Yinzer Nation compares him to the Steelers’ Hines Ward.


Ward’s stats badly trump Edelman’s save the playoff numbers. Ward has 380 more catches, 49 more touchdowns, four Pro Bowls to Edelman’s none, three second-team All-Pro selections to Edelman’s none. Ward was no post-season slouch, either: He got a Super Bowl MVP, just like Edelman. But nobody thinks Ward is making the Hall of Fame, except perhaps Ward.


Mark Madden, “Ex-Steelers WRs have better Hall of Fame credentials 

than Julian Edelman,” Tribune-Review, April 14, 2021


Makes the case for Emmanuel Sanders


In addition to Ward, Madden notes that former Steeler wideout Emmanual Sanders’ production is better than the former New England Patriot,


Ex-Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders also has better numbers than Edelman.


Sanders has more catches (662-620), more receiving yards (8,619-6,822) and more touchdowns (47-36). Nobody thinks Sanders will make the Hall of Fame, not even Sanders.


Mark Madden, Tribune-Review, April 14, 2021


Case closed. Edelman is not a legitimate HOF candidate, as Madden shows in his TribLive.com column. 


It is worth a read.


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