Pro Football Hall of Fame 2022: Inductees, Highlights and Reaction

When the Class of 2022 is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, it will have been a long time coming for many of them. Each of the five modern-era inductees had been eligible for at least five years, and three had been eligible for 16 or more years.

On Thursday, this year's Hall of Fame class was announced during NFL Honors, and eight people will be inducted in Canton, Ohio, this summer. The five modern-era players in the class are: Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour and Bryant Young.

Seymour was the newest Hall of Fame member who had the shortest wait. His final NFL season was in 2012, so this was his fifth year of eligibility.

Here's a look at the full 2022 Hall of Fame class, along with highlights and reactions to the inductees.

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Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Modern-Era Inductees

Tony Boselli, OT, Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-2001), Houston Texans (2002)

LeRoy Butler, S, Green Bay Packers (1990-2001)

Sam Mills, LB, New Orleans Saints (1986-1994), Carolina Panthers (1995-1997)

Richard Seymour, DL, New England Patriots (2001-2008), Oakland Raiders (2009-2012)

Bryant Young, DE/DT, San Francisco 49ers (1994-2007)

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Senior Inductee

Cliff Branch, WR, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1972-1986)

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Contributor Inductee

Art McNally, NFL supervisor of officials (1968-1987), NFL director of officiating (1988-1990), NFL assistant supervisor of officiating (1996-2007), NFL officiating observer and trainer (2008-2015)

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Coach Inductee

Dick Vermeil, head coach, Philadelphia Eagles (1976-1982), St. Louis Rams (1997-1999), Kansas City Chiefs (2001-2005)

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Highlights, Reaction

This was the late Sam Mills' final chance at making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a modern-era inductee. The former Saints and Panthers linebacker, who died in 2005, was in his 20th and final year of eligibility, so he needed to be voted in this year or he would fall off the ballot.

Mills ended up being among the final five finalists from the modern-era ballot, and he received the 80 percent of the votes necessary from the selection committee. And now, Mills is finally a Hall of Famer.

"Sam Mills is the greatest Panther ever," former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. said, per Darin Gantt of the Panthers' team site. "Simply put, he established the standard for everything that came here after him. He did that on the field with the way he played, and obviously made the same kind of impact off the field."

A one-time All-Pro selection and five-time Pro Bowler, Mills played nine of his 12 NFL seasons in New Orleans. But he made a big impact in Carolina from 1995-97, putting together several of his best years.

Mills isn't the only 2022 inductee who had been on the ballot for some time. LeRoy Butler and Tony Boselli were each in their 16th year of eligibility, while Bryant Young was in his 10th.

Butler, a four-time All-Pro selection and four-time Pro Bowler, spent his entire 12-year NFL career with the Packers. And on Thursday, he shared his reaction to his inclusion in the Hall of Fame's 2022 class:

Boselli was the first draft pick in Jaguars history, as he was taken with the No. 2 overall selection in 1995. Now, he'll be the first Jacksonville player to get inducted into the Hall of Fame, as he spent his entire seven-year NFL career with the Jags.

Although Boselli played only 91 career games, he was a three-time All-Pro selection and a five-time Pro Bowler. He also proved that he was among the sport's all-time-great offensive linemen.

"Tony's well-deserved selection for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is long overdue and one of the greatest moments in the history of our franchise," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said, per the Jaguars' team site.

Young and Seymour were among the top defensive linemen of their era, which has earned both a spot in the Hall of Fame.

For Seymour, it's yet another accolade that will be added to his career resume. He was a three-time All-Pro selection and seven-time Pro Bowler who won three Super Bowl titles during his time with the Patriots.

However, not everybody believed that Young and Seymour were the most deserving defensive players on the Hall of Fame ballot. John Owning of Pro Football Focus questioned how linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who was in his first year of eligibility, didn't end up in the 2022 class:

Ware was one of three players who were on the ballot for the first time, along with wide receiver Andre Johnson and returner Devin Hester. None of the three will be inducted this year, a much different result from 2021 when there were three first-ballot Hall of Famers (Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson and Charles Woodson).