This could be the year Jared Allen gets inducted into the Hall of Fame
Jared Allen has a special place in the history of the Minnesota Vikings but come next January, he could also have a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The NFL released this year's list of eligible Hall of Fame candidates this weekend and after two years of missing the cut, Allen remains on the list which could lead to his best chance to be enshrined in Canton.
Allen was acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in the spring of 2008 and immediately became a dominant force for the Vikings' defense. His 85.5 sacks with Minnesota rank third in franchise history since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 and sixth according to Pro Football Reference's unofficial count.
But Allen wasn't just a great pass-rusher with the Vikings. With 43 sacks in his first four seasons with the Chiefs and 7.5 sacks in stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears, Allen finished his career with 136 sacks, which officially ranks 12th in NFL history.
Nine of the 11 players ahead of Allen are currently enshrined in the Hall of Fame including DeMarcus Ware, who was inducted on Saturday night.
Mix in Allen's two sack titles (2007, 2011), four All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl selections and he has the resume of a sure-fire Hall of Famer. But the Pro Football Hall of Fame isn't just about resumes, it's about timing.
The current rules allow for nine enshrinees to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a single year but only five modern-era players. The process is also complicated as players must have played their final game no later than 1996 to be considered a modern-era player.
While Allen is qualified to already be in Canton, he was overshadowed by some of the players who were either eligible on their own merit or running out of time to be considered a modern-era player.
In 2022 that meant waiting for Tony Boselli, Cliff Branch, LeRoy Butler, Sam Mills and Bryant Young. This year, Allen was behind Ronde Barber, Darrelle Revis, Joe Thomas, Zach Thomas and Ware.
In each case, it's hard for Allen to make a case to get in over those players but this year's candidates could open the door for him to get into the hall.
Out of this list of new candidates, Julius Peppers seems to be a lock by officially ranking fourth in NFL history with 159.5 sacks. Antonio Gates also should be a shoo-in after becoming the NFL's most dynamic tight end since Tony Gonzalez.
But the rest of the list is filled with fringe Hall of Famers.
- Andrew Luck was heralded as the next great quarterback prospect but his early retirement at age 29 makes things complicated.
- Jamaal Charles made three Pro Bowls and was a three-time All-Pro selection but his 7,563 rushing yards only rank 59th in NFL history.
- Haloti Ngata, Eric Berry and Adam Jones are former All-Pro selections but none of them were transcending talents.
- Jordy Nelson and Doug Baldwin are former Super Bowl champions and Pro Bowlers but neither made an All-Pro team.
The list of last year's finalists has some more intriguing names such as Patrick Willis, Darren Woodson, Andre Johnson and Devin Hester but Allen has a similar if not better resume, which could lead to him getting the nod over those players.
It creates an intriguing process next winter where Allen will likely be named a finalist for the third straight year. If the voting committee looks at the stats, Allen could be on his way to Canton and become the 16th player in Vikings history to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
