Pro Football Hall of Fame gets it wrong again

Washington Redskins legendary offensive tackle Joe Jacoby turned 66 years old in July. There was hope that this would finally be the year that Jacoby took his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Last month, the Hall of Fame announced nine semifinalists in the seniors category for the Class of 2026. Jacoby was among those nine semifinalists. On Wednesday, those hopes and dreams were shattered again, as the Hall of Fame revealed the three finalists for the 2026 seniors category: Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood.

While all three players have strong cases to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, none have a better case than Jacoby. Other players, including those at the same position, have gone into the Hall, yet Jacoby, who last played in a game 32 years ago, remains on the outside looking in.

What a sham.

We won't get into why the Hall of Fame voting process needs to be revamped. Far too many deserving players are not in, and we don't know why. We've heard some foolish arguments over the years. Remember how the HOF committee made Art Monk wait? Remember the reasons why they gave for Monk having to wait?

For some reason, there appears to be a bias toward Washington players. Jacoby, London Fletcher and Brian Mitchell all belong in Canton. Art Monk had to wait far too long, and so did Chris Hanburger. Wide receiver Gary Clark has a case for the Hall of Fame, too, but all the numbers produced by receivers since 2000 will prevent him from going in.

We've made cases for Jacoby, Fletcher and Mitchell. Jacoby should never have waited until he became a senior candidate.

Here are some of Jacoby's accomplishments.

• Undrafted FA in 1983, went on to play 170 games
• Starting left tackle for "The Hogs"
• 3-time Super Bowl champion
• 4-time Pro Bowler
• 3-time first-team All-Pro
• NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
• Washington Commanders Ring of Fame

Shall we continue?

The mere fact that Jacoby is on the 1980s All-Decade Team should tell you everything you need to know. Jacoby played in the same division as Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White, the two best defensive players of all time. Taylor has long praised Jacoby as one of the best players he played against.

What more does he need to do?

Why are there multiple categories in the Hall of Fame? Why do players have to wait so long? What are the real qualifications this committee looks for? Who is making the case for Jacoby? Could this committee say what Jacoby lacks?

These are all questions that should be asked and answered. Far too many times, we've seen legendary players pass away before they realized they'd made the Hall of Fame. That's cruel and sad. Let's not do that with Jacoby. This committee has gotten it wrong for years. It's past time to make it right. Now, we have to wait another year to see if this mistake is corrected.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Hall of Fame wrongly excludes Joe Jacoby again