Willie Anderson’s Hall of Fame bid comes up short again in 2nd year as finalist

Cincinnati Bengals great Willie Anderson’s Hall of Fame bid fell short on Thursday night at the NFL Honors.

Anderson, a finalist for the second year in a row, was a top-10 pick by the Bengals in 1996 and one of the best right tackles of his generation. He was also the first member of the franchise on the ballot since 1998 (Anthony Munoz and Ken Anderson ).

Anderson joined fellow former Bengals standout Ken Riley on the ballot, with Riley one of three senior candidates.

With Joe Thomas getting the nod and further clearing the logjam along the offensive line, there’s increased hope next year is Anderson’s year to get a gold jacket.

Riley, the 65-interception legend, became the second Bengals player in franchise history to get elected to the Hall, joining Anthony Munoz.