Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin believes one of his former wide receivers is long overdue for a gold jacket.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was announced a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 on Tuesday. It is the 10th time Ward has been named a semifinalist, and head coach Mike Tomlin believes it’s time Ward earns a place in football immortality.
“Numbers do not tell his story, although his numbers are special,” Tomlin said. “That’s a guy with 1,000 or so career catches, but if you were around him, if you were in stadium with him, if you were a member of this team or an opposing player, you understood what playing with and against Hines Ward was about. He was a football player first, a wide receiver second. To be quite honest with you, he was an offensive perimeter bully, and I say that in a complimentary way. To me, he’s a legendary player of his generation because of the way he played. The amount of respect that he carried when he didn’t have the ball in his hands, when it wasn’t even a pass, is stuff of legend.”
Coach Tomlin on Hines Ward being named a semifinalist for the @ProFootballHOF Class of 2026. @PNCBank pic.twitter.com/VflwWtFAsA
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 25, 2025
Ward began his career as a third-round pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Steelers, who he would go into play his entire career with.
From 1998-2011, Ward racked up 1,000 catches for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns. His totals rank 17th (receptions), 31st (receiving yards) and 19th (receiving touchdowns) respectably all time.
However, Ward was one of Pittsburgh’s most physical players, and his impact as a blocker was so well-known that the NFL changed its rules to prevent blindside blocks downfield.
Ward won two Super Bowls with the Steelers and was the MVP of Super Bowl XL after his game-sealing touchdown reception. He was named to four Pro Bowls, was a three-time All-Pro and is on the Steelers’ All-Time Team.
Ward is among the 26 semifinalists announced by the Hall of Fame on Tuesday for the Class of 2026 that will be cut to 15 finalists later this year before the full Hall of Fame selection committee votes on the class in February.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Pleads For Former Steelers WR to Get Into Hall of Fame
