Miami Dolphins legend Zach Thomas needs to be in the Hall of Fame

The NFL’s Hall of Fame game is this Thursday, and it should spark debate once again over the potential induction of a Miami Dolphins legend.

As the 2022 class is celebrated in this year’s edition of the Hall of Fame Game, there is one notable absence in the form of Miami Dolphins legend Zach Thomas.

Thomas was a finalist for the Hall this year but was once again overlooked despite having a sterling resume that clearly shows he should already be wearing a golden jacket and have his bust in Canton.

Very few players have a significant impact in the NFL when they are taken in the fifth round of the draft, but with the 154th overall selection in 1996, the Dolphins chose an undersized middle linebacker out of Texas Tech who would go on to become one of the most beloved players in franchise history.

Miami Dolphins LB Zach Thomas undoubtedly has a Hall of Fame resume

Thomas played 12 years with the Miami Dolphins, plus one final year with the Dallas Cowboys, in a career that saw him rack up an astonishing 1734 total tackles – 1107 of them solo.

He earned the most tackles in two separate seasons, with 156 in 2002 and 165 in 2006, was named to seven Pro Bowls as well as being a five-time All-Pro.

He was named to the 1996 All-Rookie Team, was third in voting for the 1998 Defensive Player of the Year, and was selected to the Hall of Fame Second All-Decade Team for the 2000s – having retired after the 2008 season.

Despite such a full resume, which saw him play 184 regular season games, Thomas still has not earned his due and been named a Hall of Famer – even though a player with a very similar career was inducted at his very first opportunity in 2018.

Brian Urlacher played an identical number of games as Thomas (182) while having one more Pro Bowl nod, one fewer All-Pro selections, while finishing with 373 fewer tackles than Thomas – despite such a similar number of career games.

Urlacher himself believes that Thomas is deserving of being inducted into Canton, speaking on the Pat McAfee Show bemoaning the Pampa, Texas’ absence despite having such a similar career to himself.

Very few players, let alone late-round draft picks, have had the consistency throughout their careers as Zach Thomas had with the Miami Dolphins, yet he has remained disrespected each and every year his name comes up as a potential Hall of Fame inductee.

It’s time to make things right and put him into the Hall in the next edition in 2023. One year from now, Thomas should be getting ready to receive his golden jacket and see his bust unveiled in front of fans, receiving what he has deserved for many years.