Texans legend Andre Johnson waits for call from 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Texans fans who watched Andre Johnson play at NRG Stadium for 12 seasons know it for a fact: Johnson is a Hall of Fame receiver.

The video above is from a 2019 report.

The Miami product racked up over 14,000 yards receiving in his career to rank with the best of all time. A long list of career accomplishments includes seven Pro Bowl teams, and he was honored as an All-Pro twice.

So why does No. 80 have to wait for induction? ABC13 asked Oilers legend and Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon to help fans understand a couple of days before the Hall of Fame class of 2023 is revealed.

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Moon told us the biggest hurdle to induction for Johnson is the backlog of deserving wide receivers.

"Unfortunately, there's so many receivers that have been waiting for their opportunity as well. Guys like Tory Holt and Reggie Wayne and guys like that," Moon said.

Moon said he respects those great receivers and saves special praise for Johnson.

"What a great receiver he was. What a great ambassador for the city of Houston he's been ever since he retired and during his playing days," he said.

Johnson, Holt, and Wayne all have similar career numbers in yards and touchdown catches. Holt and Wayne have an advantage in what's known as "Weighted Career Approximate Value," a metric used on Pro Football Reference to measure the career production of Hall of Fame-eligible receivers.

Moon said it's not a matter of "if" but "when" Johnson will find his way into Canton."If it doesn't happen for him this year... it's gonna happen," he said.

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Moon added that making it to the final vote is an accomplishment in itself. "I don't worry about him making it (into the Hall of Fame) in the near future," Moon said.

Texans fans hope that it's Thursday night. But fans who respect Johnson, so much for the player and the man he is, also need to remember players like longtime Packers safety LeRoy Butler.

Last year, he made the cut for induction in his 16th year of eligibility. Butler was a four-time All-Pro defender who helped Green Bay win a Super Bowl title. By design and sometimes just by circumstance, it's hard to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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