Will Browns legend Joe Thomas be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

CANTON, Ohio – Tonight matters!

Will Cleveland Browns legend Joe Thomas be selected for induction into Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame? While it looks like he’ll be a ban from joining Class of 2023, confirmation comes at 9 p.m. when the inductees are officially announced.

3News will be covering the outcome later tonight across all our platforms, so stay tuned for the latest!

“It didn’t feel quite real until a few weeks ago,” Thomas said in a recent interview with 3News’ Jim Donovan, which you can watch in the video below. “As you start thinking about possible plans, start thinking about all of the people who did so much to get you on the doorstep to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Reminiscing like that is a lot of fun.”

Editor’s Note: The video in the player at the top of this story was originally published in a previous article on January 24, 2023.

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This is the first year that Thomas is eligible for induction. If selected, he would be the Browns’ first player to be anchored in Canton since the team returned to the league in 1999.

Here are some of his stats as listed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

• Drafted third overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2007 NFL Draft
• Started all 16 games for the Browns at left in his rookie season and finished second in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, chosen by Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson
• Known for his agility, strength and endurance, he set an NFL record with 10,363 consecutive snaps — a streak that ended on Oct. 22, 2017 after tearing a triceps against the Tennessee Titans
• Only allowed 30 sacks in his distinguished career, despite competing against several Hall of Famer sack specialists and many teams’ top pass rushers
• Was the first offensive lineman in NFL history to be named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons
• First-team All-Pro honors six seasons (2009-2011, 2013-15) and second-team All-Pro twice (2008, 2012)
• Named to the 2010s NFL All-Decade Team
• Known for his community involvement, he was named Walter Payton Man of the Year three times (2010, 2012, 2016) by the Cleveland Browns.

So who are the 15 Modern Era finalists eligible for this year’s class in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Here is the full list…

• Jared Allen, defensive end – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers
• Willie Anderson, offensive tackle – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
• Ronde Barber, cornerback/safety – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Dwight Freeney, defensive end/outside linebacker – Indianapolis Colts 2002-2012, San Diego Chargers 2013-14, Arizona Cardinals 2015, Atlanta Falcons 2016, Seattle Seahawks 2017, Detroit Lions 2017
• Devin Hester, punt returner/kick returner/wide receiver—Chicago Bears 2006-2013, Atlanta Falcons 2014-15, Baltimore Ravens 2016
• Torry Holt, wide receiver – 1999-2008 St Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
• Andre Johnson, wide receiver – 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Tennessee Titans
• Albert Lewis, cornerback – 1983-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-98 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
• Darrelle Revis, cornerback – 2007-2012 New York Jets, 2013 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2014 New England Patriots, 2015-16 New York Jets, 2017 Kansas City Chiefs
• Joe Thomas, offensive tackle – 2007-2017 Cleveland Browns
• Zach Thomas, linebacker – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys
• DeMarcus Ware, linebacker/defensive end – 2005-2013 Dallas Cowboys, 2014-16 Denver Broncos
• Reggie Wayne, wide receiver – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts
• Patrick Willis, linebacker – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers
• Darren Woodson, Safety – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys

These finalists were determined by a vote by the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee from a list of 129 nominees in September.

“The selection committee can select up to five modern-era players for the class of 2023, each receiving a minimum vote of 80 percent to be eligible,” said the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held in Canton this August.