Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas’ wait for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will have to wait for at least one more year. For Thomas, 2021 marks the second consecutive close call with induction, only to come up empty handed. But the question that lingers in the background of Thomas’ pursuit of Canton is what comes next once he finally punches his ticket to the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Thomas is an easy player to champion for in this regard given that he has the accolades, he has the support of his colleagues and he was a staple of successful Dolphins defenses of the early 2000s.
But in the aftermath of Thomas’ departure from the team, the Dolphins have slid into a decade of mediocrity — and as a result their list of potential Hall of Fame candidates has run alarmingly short.
Which former Miami Dolphin holds the best case for Canton after Thomas?
On the surface level, you may think center Mike Pouncey comes to mind. But Pouncey has never made an All-Pro team during his career and has logged just 4 Pro Bowl berths — including one in 2018 that felt as though it were really on name alone more so than on-field merit.
Really the only former Miami Dolphin behind Thomas in the queue with any semblance of an argument would be defensive end/pass rusher Cameron Wake. Wake’s story is a great one — he had to play in the CFL to cut his teeth as a pass rusher despite his elite athleticism before signing with the Dolphins in 2009 as a 27-year old rookie. Wake would last 10 years in South Florida as a staple of the Dolphins and logged 98 sacks over that stretch, which included a 5.5 sack rookie campaign and a dominant 2015 season cut short by 9 games with a torn Achilles.
In all, Wake was named to 5 Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team during his decade with the Dolphins before logging 2.5 sacks with the Titans in 2019 to push his career total past 100 sacks.
Is Wake’s Hall of Fame candidacy a lock? Not at all. But given his production while missing half a decade of play during his physical prime, there’s at least an argument to be made. But Wake has yet to even formally announce his retirement — so any argument to be made is at least a half a decade away. Hopefully Zach Thomas will be well entrenched with a bust by then so that Dolphins fans can flock to Wake’s resume as the next potential Dolphin with a case for Canton.