When will Patrick Willis get the call to the Hall of Fame?

The 49ers did well at the NFL Honors as Nick Bosa and DeMeco Ryans came away with awards. The league announced the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class, and Patrick Willis was not among the members who made it.

Here are the nine players who made it:

Zach Thomas
Ronde Barber
Don Coryell
Chuck Howley
Joe Klecko
Darrell Revis
Ken Riley
Joe Thomas
DeMarcus Ware

This was the fourth year that Willis was eligible for the Hall of Fame. It was the second time he was a finalist, so hopefully this trend means he’ll make it sooner than later.

Willis didn’t seem too bothered in an interview with ESPN:

“I just try to be in the now. If it takes another 20 years, that would be awesome. I’d rather see guys that are older and being able to enjoy it get my slot and I’ll wait another three or four or five or 10 or 20 years to get in when I’m older. With that being said, if it happens one day it will be awesome. If not, it will still be awesome.”

Willis is a Hall of Famer. The only reason he isn’t being voted in is because of the stone-age mindset that you have to play a specific number of years to achieve being Hall of Fame worthy. That’s dumb, outdated, and needs to change.

If Thomas is a Hall of Famer, Willis had a far greater impact during his playing days if you can get beyond counting stats such as tackles. Willis will wear a gold jacket before it’s all said and done.