Just a quick hitter here, on a player that I’m kind of surprised we didn’t write about earlier–possibly because his retirement came during one of our doldrums of writing, or possibly because we hadn’t even considered the topic worth of discussion…
As I was doing some writing for another Hall of Fame post that will hit in the next day or two, a tweet came across my phone screen–I think what I was seeing was a retweet, but I can’t seem to find it, so I’ll embed the original:
Jared Allen: "I'm a Viking, I'll go in [to the NFL Hall of Fame] as Viking….The Vikings have my heart."
— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) April 20, 2020
I saw that, and knew I wouldn’t have to dig very far in the comments to find people asking the same question I had–sure enough, right away:
Don't get me wrong, Jared Allen might be my favorite NFL player of all time. He certainly belongs in the Hall of Very Good. Hall of Fame? I'm not sold. He ranks 12th all time in sacks, .72/game, 187th all time in tackles. Vikings Ring of Honor for sure, HOF is a big maybe to me.
— Brian Miller (@bwmiller96) April 20, 2020
He’s not going in the hall.
— Brad Meister (@Brad_Meister) April 20, 2020
Side note–I also saw a Tweet from an apparent Vikings fan claiming that the Chiefs still won the Jared Allen trade…they used the first round pick on Branden Albert, and one of the third round picks on Jamaal Charles…neither team won a Super Bowl with the picks. That might be worth a post all on its own.
Back to the question at hand–aside from the fact that if & when you are elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, you don’t choose which team you go in as, the question remains–will Jared Allen some day be on the stage in Canton donning the yellow jacket?
Photo by Mike Morbeck 
He played in 187 games over 13 years, amassing 136 sacks, 32 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries, six interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, plus two touchdown receptions on his two career catches, for Kansas City. He led the NFL in sacks in two separate seasons, including a 22 sack season in 2011, and was named to five Pro Bowls, in addition to being named All-Pro four times. He will be eligible for election to the Hall of Fame for the first time in 2021.
Normally the sack totals would seem to indicate that he would be in–but in today’s NFL, with the increase in the passing game, it’s a good total, but is it really great? He’s 12th on the all-time list right now–the only three ahead of him on the list that aren’t in the Hall of Fame (Julius Peppers, Terrell Suggs and DeMarcus Ware) are also very possibly Canton bound. Of course, the first name behind him (with 133.5) is John Abraham, who is…not exactly what I think of when I think Hall of Fame. Behind him, tied with Lawrence Taylor, is Leslie O’Neal–another non-Hall of Famer.
So what says you, Zoneblitz readers–is Jared Allen a Hall of Famer?
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He will get in the Hall but not first ballot …
Great rusher, but quiet as well, and didnt do enough in big games from what I remember but the numbers are there …
Leslie O Neil should get in ahead of him and Cedric Hardman had the regular season and postseason sack numbers and a SB but wasnt good against the run, like many blind side rushers …
1st Ballot in my book but in reality probably 2-4 years. Sensational pass rusher. I don’t remember him playing in too many big games but PR says 7. I remember he played well in the Vikings run with Brett Favre. Really I always remember him playing well. Never saw him serve up a complete dud. The guy had a motor like J.J. Watt.
I don’t see him as 1st ballot but a year 3-5 election seems likely. There won’t be more than two 1st ballot elected next year (manning, woodson)