A year after falling short of induction in his first year of eligibility, DeMarcus Ware will soon have another chance to capture football immortality.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce as many as five Modern-Era electees for the Class of 2023 on Thursday, and Ware is among the 15 finalists who will receive consideration for the NFL's greatest honor.
Though Ware spent much of his 12-year career with the Dallas Cowboys, he boosted his resume for Canton during his three-season stint with the Broncos.
A team captain, Ware earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods in 2014 and 2015 and posted double-digit sacks in his first season in Denver. In 2015, Ware posted another 7.5 regular-season sacks but was at his best during the Broncos' journey to Super Bowl 50. The veteran player recorded 3.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits as he was instrumental in the Broncos' three-game playoff run.
Ware recovered a game-changing fumble against the Steelers, hit Tom Brady seven times in the AFC championship and sacked Cam Newton twice and hit him four times in the Broncos' Super Bowl victory.
Perhaps just as importantly, Ware served as a valuable mentor to Von Miller during his three seasons with the Broncos and helped spur Miller to the success he enjoyed.
Despite battling injuries during his final two seasons with the Broncos, Ware ended his career with four sacks in 10 games in 2016.
Ware's final three seasons pushed him to 138.5 career sacks, which ranks ninth in NFL history since sacks were officially tracked in 1982. Julius Peppers and Terrell Suggs, who are not yet eligible for induction, are the only other members of the top 10 who have not been elected to the Hall of Fame.
Ware has more sacks than fellow finalists Jared Allen (136) and Dwight Freeney (125.5) — and his nine Pro Bowl berths also surpass both players. Ware and Allen each were named a first-team All-Pro on four occasions, while Freeney earned three such nods in his 16-year career.
From 2006-12, Ware was a first- or second-team All-Pro each season and posted at least 10 sacks each year. He finished his career in Dallas as the Cowboys' all-time leader in sacks, and only Reggie White reached 100 sacks faster than Ware (113 games) since 1982.
Though Ware never earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, he led the NFL in sacks in 2008 (20.0) and 2010 (15.5) and in tackles for loss on three occasions. Allen also led the NFL in sacks on two occasions, while Freeney did so once.
Yet while Ware's most productive seasons came as a Cowboy — he was a second-team Hall of Fame All-2000s team selection — his short tenure in Denver may have cemented his Hall of Fame candidacy. Without his final three seasons, Ware would rank just 23rd in sacks in NFL history — and he would lack the world championship run that is a critical part of his resume.
Ware finished his career with 138.5 sacks, 657 tackles, 171 tackles for loss, 35 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, three interceptions, 25 passes defensed and three touchdowns.
It was somewhat surprising that Ware did not earn election in his first year of eligibility in 2021, and it seems inevitable that he will earn his bronze bust at soon point.
Soon enough, Broncos fans will learn if this is the year that Ware will slip on a gold jacket.
