Pair of Chiefs greats now eligible for Hall of Fame enshrinement
A pair of Kansas City Chiefs franchise legends from the 2010s decade have officially served their time in retirement and now have a chance to again be recognized for their greatness on the football field. Former Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles and S Eric Berry are among the group of players eligible for enshrinement into the […]
A pair of Kansas City Chiefs franchise legends from the 2010s decade have officially served their time in retirement and now have a chance to again be recognized for their greatness on the football field.
Former Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles and S Eric Berry are among the group of players eligible for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is the first time that either player will be eligible for enshrinement into the hallowed halls of Canton, Ohio. They join former NFL greats like Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates, Haloti Ngata, and Brandon Marshall as players eligible for enshrinement for the first time.
For a player to be considered eligible for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame they must be retired for at least five years. At that point, their name will go into an expansive pool of modern-era NFL players who are eligible.
Whether either will be considered for first-ballot Hall of Fame selections remains to be seen, but it feels like they'll both struggle in the selection process based on similar arguments. Longevity and accolades are missing for both players.
Berry played in the NFL for nine seasons, but he only had five seasons where he played 15 or more games. In the final two seasons of his career, he barely played due to an Achilles injury. He finished his Chiefs career with 89 games played, 445 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 interceptions, 51 passes defended, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five defensive touchdowns. His career accolades include three First-Team All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl nods, a place on the 2010s NFL All-Decade Team, and an NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award after he beat Hodgkin's Lymphoma. However, he never saw much postseason success, only winning a single playoff game in six career appearances.
Charles simply might have the better argument for enshrinement.
He played 11 seasons in the NFL, finishing his career with 119 game appearances and 69 starts. During that span, he amassed over 1400 carries for 7563 rushing yards and 44 rushing touchdowns. He also had 310 career receptions for 2593 receiving yards and 20 touchdown grabs. While Charles had fewer Pro Bowls (4) and First-Team All-Pro selections (2). He was the NFL's rushing touchdown leader in 2013. He finished his NFL career averaging 5.4 rushing yards per attempt, which is still good for the most in the history of the league by a modern-era running back.
Charles has analytics on his side, and while they traditionally haven't mattered when it comes to Hall of Fame enshrinement, he could be the player who blazes a new trail.
The debate will rage on surrounding these players behind closed doors as the Hall of Fame selection committee puts together a list of 120-plus Modern-Era nominees for 2024 to be revealed in September.
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Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
