The Cleveland Browns could have three other modern NFL’ers joining Joe Thomas in the Hall of Fame sooner rather than later.
The Cleveland Browns saw one of their own get picked to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with his formal induction coming this August. That former Browns player is Joe Thomas, the one bright spot on the team during the lean years of 2007 through 2017. Thomas marks the first player the Browns have seen go into the Hall of Fame since the team came back in 1999 and while there were a few players before who were on their way to the Hall of Fame, none of those guys were able to finish off the journey to the Hall for one reason or another.
Names like Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Jamir Miller were all Canton bound until injuries, inconsistent play or heinous convictions derailed their chances. It seemed like no matter what happened or how good a guy was, no one from the modern Browns world would ever be good enough to get into the Hall of Fame. Then came Thomas.
Thomas didn’t just dominate the league, but he proved to be among the most loyal players in the game’s history. Thomas’ play seemingly broke the curse that hung over the team and now the curse appears to be lifted. There are, shockingly, more players who are Canton bound, or could be and we’re talking about them here.
Honorable Mention
Joe Haden
If I’m being honest, I think Joe Haden misses Canton. He has his fair share of post-season accolades, but his injuries during his prime, and the fact he spent most of his career on a losing Browns squad really hurt his chances to get in.
That doesn’t mean his play or skill wasn’t among the best ever, because for a while he was considered either the best corner in the league or among the top four, and that’s pretty impressive.
Myles Garrett
I have my complaints about Myles Garrett, but that’s not new if you’re a regular reader. I don’t think he puts in as much effort against the run as he does the pass, and there’s evidence to back that up. However, you can in fact be a Hall of Famer if you do one thing better than anyone. Garrett is pretty good at pass rushing, so we can’t ignore that when talking about Hall of Fame inductees.
Sure, most of his pass-rushing skills boil down to him just being longer, faster, and stronger than the guy across from him, making technique really unnecessary, but that’s not his fault. In fact, he’s made a career of being the most athletic defensive end since Javon Kerse. Heading into his age 28 season, he already has 74.5 career sacks, and only once didn’t have double-digits in that stat for a season.
Starting with his second season in the league, he hasn’t missed a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro selection in a season, unless he was suspended from qualifying for such awards. He owns the Cleveland Browns’ sack record and will probably own or place himself much higher on several other Browns’ All-Time lists.
Not only that, he’ll break 100 sacks in two seasons’ time assuming he doesn’t get hurt. Garrett’s about as obvious of a lock as they come.
Alex Mack
We didn’t say everyone on this list would go in as a Cleveland Browns player. Alex Mack was, seemingly, never a fan of the Browns. He tried to leave twice, and once actually got his way. This man did not want to be a member of the Browns. We can’t confirm this observation as fact, but we do have some evidence that supports our claim. I mean, he tried to leave for Jacksonville.
What kind of emotional, physical, verbal, mental, and spiritual abuse must you be going through to go “yeah, you know, Jacksonville looks like a good option for my career”? And the only reason he didn’t go is that the Browns matched the contract offer to him.
When Atlanta came calling, Mack’s dust cloud outline was all that remained. Despite the departure, his tenure in Cleveland, Atlanta, and then San Francisco was one of chronic off-field success and eventually, even on.
He went to seven Pro Bowls, made three All-Pro teams, and was the starting center for the 2016 Super Bowl runner-up Atlanta Falcons. Yes, *that* Falcons team. Sadly, it looks like no matter where Mack wanted to run to, the curse of being a Browns’ player followed him regardless. 28-3 is a scenario no one can ever truly live down.
Joel Bitonio
Joe Bitonio is nearing first-ballot status as he continues to dominate the trenches for the modern Browns squad. A 2nd round pick from the 2014 NFL Draft, Bitonio has made five Pro Bowls and Five All-Pro squads, making two first-teams and three second-teams. If he makes a sixth Pro Bowl and six All-Pro squad at 32, then there’s no denying his Hall of Fame status.
Unlike Joe Thomas, Bitonio has the fact that he helped anchor the offensive line for the playoff squad of 2020 to bolster his resume. Bitonio has been the best player on the line since Thomas retired and his involvement with the squad was a direct reason why they were good enough to get to the playoffs in 2020 in the first place.
Another factor in his future Hall of Fame status is the fact that he did all this in five consecutive seasons, where he was an undisputed top guy in the NFL at his position. Year to year, there may have been a guy or two who could claim they were better than Bitonio, but no one, not even his teammate Wyatt Teller, can say that they’ve been on or near his level for the last five consecutive years.
While he’ll eventually lose a step, it doesn’t seem like it’ll happen this upcoming season.