It just wasn’t meant to be. At least not yet.
Former and beloved Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Jared Allen was denied entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a fourth consecutive year last weekend, a mind-boggling exclusion that just has to be rectified sometime down the line.
It’s Another HOF Snub for Beloved Former Viking
Based on his performance in 13 NFL seasons, Allen should not be a fringe participant in the league’s most prestigious club. It’s as if the voters just don’t get it.
Instead, voters allowed these men into the Hall of Fame, all worthy additions:
- Dwight Freeney
- Devin Hester
- Andre Johnson
- Julius Peppers
- Patrick Willis
- Randy Gradishar
- Steve McMichael
Allen will have to wait until the next cycle, although there’s no evidence to suggest the outcome will be different in 2025. We shall see.
The five-time Pro Bowler was elected into the Vikings Ring of Honor in 2022, a small consolation prize compared to the Hall of Fame. Freeney, mentioned above and also a pass rusher, was named an All-Pro thrice in his NFL career, while Allen fetched All-Pro recognition four times. Freeney, however, won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006, and Allen never won a ring. He and the Carolina Panthers were close in 2015, however, losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
Richard Seymour was inducted into the 2022 class, riding his career total of 57.5 sacks and three 1st-Team All-Pro selections to football’s eternal club. Allen, who has been denied repeatedly, tabulated 136 sacks and the aforementioned four 1st-Team All-Pro awards.
On sacks, Allen ranks 16th in NFL history with 136 — more than Carl Eller, Rickey Jackson, Charley Haley, Andre Tippett, etc. All of those men are in the Hall of Fame. Allen has more sacks than them. What gives? Too, during Allen’s playing career, 2004 to 2015, he led the NFL in sacks during that 12-season span. Plain and simple. In those twelve seasons, no man sacked the quarterback more. This stat alone — yes, there is more nuance to defense than sacks alone — should be the rubberstamp.
Allen still has plenty of time to get in the elite group — and he ultimately will when voters do some soul-searching — so it’s not the end of the road for the 41-year-old. But boil this thing down to raw numbers. He ranks 16th ever in sacks. The man with more sacks than Allen, who is not in the Hall of Fame, is Terrell Suggs. He’ll get the nod next year. Why not Allen?
Strange.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.