Former 49ers Terrell Owens, Roger Craig named Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists again

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced its list of semifinalists for the Class of 2018, and once again, the San Francisco 49ers have two notable former players. The first is running back Roger Craig, in his 10th year as a semifinalist. The second is wide receiver Terrell Owens, in his third year of eligibility and as a semifinalist.

Both players should be in the Hall of Fame, and it’s a shame that Craig has made it this far without making it. Owens not making it in his first year of eligibility was laughable and a result of out-of-touch voters who placed too much emphasis on feeling like he was disrespectful, at least in my opinion.

Owens is one of the best receivers to ever play the game and if he doesn’t make it for the third year in a row, I’ll be shocked. His snubbing seems even more odd because it only feels like a matter of time, and that voters are simply making him wait to “punish” him in some way.

Or maybe they really think Owens was a big enough detriment to his teams that his stats don’t matter. Maybe I’m the silly one, and if that’s the case, well I guess I don’t get football or the Hall of Fame in general.

It’s also worth noting that 49ers general manager John Lynch is a semifinalist for his playing career as a safety. He was one of the best safeties to play the game, so I expect him to make it at some point, though he never did play for the 49ers. Randy Moss and Isaac Bruce are also semifinalists and spent brief stints in San Francisco.

Finally, this was already known, but Bobby Beathard, grandfather of .J. Beathard and former front-office executive, is a finalist as a contributor.