Factoid
Hines Ward announced his retirement today. He wanted to keep playing, but no teams were interested in signing him, so he closes out his career as a Steeler only – which is a good way for him to go out.
He finishes his career with exactly 1,000 receptions.
Ware, however, maybe should have retired a year ago. His game has really slipped. He simply no longer has the speed to get much (any?) separation. He closed out the year as a marginal slot receiver.
Ward, in fact, averaged only 8.3 yards per catch last year. That’s pitiful.
In the last 20 years, out of all of the hundreds of wide receivers, only two guys have caught more than 40 passes in a season and averaged fewer yards per catch – Danny Amendola and Peerless Price.
AVERAGING UNDER 9 YARDS PER CATCH, 1991-2011
(Showing only wide receivers with at least 40 catches):
No Yds Avg Year
43 326 7.6 2009 Danny Amendola (St.L.)
85 689 8.1 2010 Danny Amendola (St.L.)
49 402 8.2 2006 Peerless Price (Buff.)
46 381 8.3 2011 Hines Ward (Pitt.)
43 361 8.4 2003 David Terrell (Chi.)
51 432 8.5 2009 Andre Caldwell (Cin.)
63 539 8.6 1993 Eric Metcalf (Clev.)
40 346 8.7 2010 Chansi Stuckey (Clev.)
45 399 8.9 1997 Bobby Engram (Chi.)
49 437 8.9 2004 Ike Hilliard (NYG)
43 384 8.9 2006 Troy Brown (N.E.)
67 599 8.9 1994 Ricky Sanders (Atl.)
55 492 8.9 2005 Jabar Gaffney (Hou.)
47 421 9.0 2002 Ron Dugans (Cin.)
—Ian Allan
- Comments [4]
Readers' Comments
Add a Comment
Already a registered user? Please sign in to add comments.
To add comments, you must become a registered user of our site. To register, please click here.
Posted by KEVIN WEAKLAND | Mar. 20 at 10:23 AM
he's a hall of famer
Posted by IAN ALLAN | Mar. 20 at 11:20 AM
I like Ward, but I'm not sure that he belongs in the Hall of Fame. There are a lot of good wide receivers trying to get in. Maybe you put Ward ahead of Tim Brown and Andre Reed (I do), but there's also Cris Carter, Otis Taylor and Cliff Branch. Of this group, I think Branch and Taylor (pointed out to me by a reader), are the most deserving.
Posted by PAUL KUCHAR | Mar. 21 at 04:33 AM
Defenses may not have had to game-plan ways to stop Hines, but no other Wide receiver has ever had so many catches while playing so incredibly physical. Defenses had to know where he was at all times or they were going to get lit up. They even had to change the rules of the game because Hines was bullying the defensive players of the AFC North. He was the heart and soul of a multi-championship team, as well as Super Bowl MVP. Yeah, he deservers to get in.
Posted by Justin Howe | Mar. 26 at 10:02 AM
What puts Hines over the top in the HOF discussion is his dazzling postseason resume. Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, Chad Johnson - no postseason productivity to speak of. Hines, T.O., Steve Smith, and Isaac Bruce are probably the top postseason WRs of this era. Indeed, Taylor and Branch were great in a more difficult era for WRs and both belong in the Hall, but both have missed their chances. Branch could get in as a Senior guy, but I doubt it. I think Carter and Hines both wind up in.