Two Patriots Legends Fall Short In 2023 Hall Of Fame Vote

Rodney Harrison and Vince Wilfork won’t be receiving busts in Canton this year.

The two New England Patriots Hall of Famers were not among the 15 modern-era finalists for the 2023 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was announced Wednesday.

Harrison and Wilfork both reached the semifinal round of voting. They’re two of the greatest defensive players of the Bill Belichick era, with Harrison — a hard-hitting safety — playing the final six of his 15 NFL seasons in New England and winning two Super Bowls. Wilfork, arguably the best defensive tackle of his era, also won two championships during his 11 seasons with the Patriots before finishing his career in Houston.

The current NBC analyst was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2019, with Wilfork following in 2022.

Belichick has advocated for both players in the past, saying Harrison and Wilfork “absolutely” would get his Hall of Fame vote.

“Vince is almost impossible — he’s impossible to block in the running game, and in the passing game, there’s some guys that match up against him, but his overall strength and athleticism for his size was pretty impressive,” Belichick said last year. “… I’ve coached some of the other safeties that have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and not taking anything away from them, but certainly Rodney Harrison belongs in that conversation.”

This year’s crop of finalists does include one Super Bowl-winning ex-Patriot: cornerback Darrelle Revis, who helped New England break its decade-long title drought during his lone season in Foxboro, Mass. (2014). Fellow finalists Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt also logged brief summer stints with the Patriots at the end of their respective careers.

The 2023 Hall of Fame class will be announced Feb. 9 ahead of Super Bowl LVII.