The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the list of 28 semifinalists for the class of 2023. Only two former Detroit Lions players made the list, and neither is best-known for their time in Detroit.
Wide receiver Anquan Boldin and defensive end Dwight Freeney are the only two players who ever suited up for the Lions who made the cut. Boldin played in Detroit in 2016, his final season. Freeney also ended his illustrious NFL career with the Lions a year later.
They were among the 28 players who moved on from the initial candidate pool of 129. That group also included a few other ex-Lions, notably LT Lomas Brown and K Jason Hanson. QB Jeff Garcia and LB Pat Swilling were also former Detroit players who missed the cut.
The semifinalist list gets trimmed to 15 finalists later this winter.
