KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs won't have a 2014 entrant into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Former offensive lineman Will Shields was a finalist but was not one of the players voted into the Hall on Saturday.
Shields, a 12-time Pro Bowl guard, deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was one of the great offensive linemen of his era and played for some great Chiefs teams. Their offensive lines of the early 2000s with Shields at right guard were among the best in NFL history.
But Shields played an unglamorous position, the Chiefs never reached the Super Bowl during his 14 seasons between 1993 and 2006 and he was competing with a strong group of finalists this year, the third he was eligible for Hall of Fame selection. He has no stats that can make his case so like any great offensive lineman he was best appreciated by those able to see him year after year, game after game, down after down.
Shields will be overdue for selection to the Hall in 2015. He is the fourth offensive lineman in NFL history to be selected to play in 12 or more Pro Bowl games. The others are Bruce Matthews, Randall McDaniel and Jim Otto and each has already been inducted to the Hall of Fame.
Next year should be Shields' turn.