Another class will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, and another class will not include former 49ers running back Roger Craig.
The Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell as the trio of finalists for the class of 2024. A 50-person committee will vote on whether those three get inducted early next year.
Craig was a semifinalist and again failed to make it to the final round of voting.
While there are a slew of worthy candidates who also deserve entry to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, Craig’s continued absence looms larger every time he’s passed over.
That’s particularly true in the modern era where running backs won’t get paid unless they play like … Roger Craig.
Craig was the first player and one of three ever to notch 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. He did so in 1985 when he led the NFL in receptions with a career-high 92. He was also third place in MVP voting in 1988 – the year he was a First-Team All-Pro and the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Craig was also voted to four Pro Bowls, won three Super Bowls and was a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s.
Juxtaposing his career with other RBs in the Hall of Fame makes it clear Craig should’ve been in a long time ago. Each time he gets passed over will only make his absence from Canton more egregious.
