For the sixth time as a finalist, Bengals legend Willie Anderson found himself on the outside looking in at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and this time, his frustration was aimed squarely at the process itself.

“Seeing the joy on Roger Craig’s face brought a tear, but it also calls for attention the pressure voters were put under regarding the usual number of 8 players inducted like in previous years before 2025,” he wrote on X. “Before Hall of Famers complained too many guys were getting in.”

“This is similar to how we feel about the Bengals’ ring of honor that only allow 2 guys in after 30-40 years, not having 1! It’s gonna create a crazy Log jam . I dare not complain…Just saying I wish the people who put the pressure on the Voters make a statement and take that pressure off the voters and return it back to its original amount of inductees.”

While the Hall allows for up to eight modern-era inductees, recent classes have only allowed four in 2025 and five in 2026. With the talent now stacked across multiple eras, it has only increased the competition, leaving more worthy candidates waiting longer than they should.

Anderson had to face tough competition this year, as the finalist group included Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, and Roger Craig, with Craig ultimately earning the senior finalist nod, edging out Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson for the honor.

For Anderson, this marked his 13th year of eligibility, and once again, his name landed among the most talked-about omissions. Around the league, he’s widely regarded as one of the best right tackles of his era, who anchored the Bengals’ offense for more than a decade. He already has the franchise’s Ring of Honor, but is still looking for that gold jacket.

He wasn’t alone in coming close this year, as Terrell Suggs and Marshal Yanda were also in the mix and ultimately fell short. But again, the length of Anderson’s wait is what makes this one sting a little more. That long wait is prompting him to call on the Hall of Fame to change its voting process. Regardless, this isn’t the end of the road.

Anderson’s path to Canton isn’t over yet

Willie Anderson finished among the top seven vote-getters, but once more, it wasn’t enough to clear the 80 percent threshold required for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The same was true for Marshal Yanda and Terrell Suggs, who also landed in the top seven but fell short.

The former Bengals lineman has now been a modern-era finalist for the classes of 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and again in 2026, but he has fallen short each time. This made it the sixth time he’s been within reach of a gold jacket without getting the call. The good news is, Anderson, along with others in that group, will automatically return as a modern-era finalist next year.

Drafted 10th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft, Anderson immediately became the Bengals’ unquestioned right tackle, spending 12 seasons anchoring their offensive line, and he played a central role in reshaping a franchise that spent much of the 1990s defined by losing.

Anderson’s dominance was immediate. After earning All-Rookie honors in 1996, he became a pillar of reliability, missing just two games over the next nine seasons. His peak was undeniable, culminating in three years of First-Team All-Pro selections (2004-2006) and four consecutive Pro Bowls (2003-2006).

He sustained that dominance against some of the era’s most feared pass rushers, including Bruce Smith, Michael Strahan, and Reggie White, and remained with Cincinnati through the 2008 season before being released and signing with the Baltimore Ravens, where he retired shortly after the season ended.

For what he meant to the Bengals, his induction would be well-deserved. And despite the repeated near-misses, Anderson hasn’t given up just yet.

“All of us who wait for our call Have no ill will towards our brothers who have made it to Football Immortality!” he wrote on X. “Salute you great men and GOD bless all who cheered me on and Thanks for the Prayers! We’ll keep pushing on!! 🙏🏿💯”