Which Kansas City Chiefs from Super Bowl LIV have the best Hall of Fame chances?
10. The Field
The reality is that, in all likelihood, only three to four players from this team will make it to Canton. Sure, Juan Thornhill or Mecole Hardman could end up having Hall of Fame worthy careers. Eric Bienemy could go on to have a Hall of Fame head coaching career. Any number of other players could get in to the conversation. However, they’re just not there yet based on their current resumes, and the odds that they do are pretty low, based on NFL history. So “The Field” checks in at the bottom of our list.
9. Frank Clark
Frank Clark has 43 sacks in five years in the NFL. Former Dallas Cowboy defensive tackle Randy White has the lowest sack total of any player in the Hall of Fame with 52 sacks in his career (remember that sacks have only been a recorded stat since 1982). So, with another season or two of quality production, and perhaps another Super Bowl title, “The Shark” could theoretically find himself in the conversation.
But the reality is likely that it will take much more than that. For Clark, who makes his living almost purely off of getting to the quarterback (though he’s pretty good in run defense, too), he’ll likely need to crack the 100 sack mark to have a shot. The big question here is: can he stay healthy? If he can, amassing 57+ sacks over the next eight years or so (which would make him 35 years old) is absolutely possible. Realistically though, this is a tall ask and empirically unlikely to occur. Even so, Clark has a better shot than the majority of the roster.
8. Dustin Colquitt
Oakland Raiders legend Ray Guy is the only punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as of now. And unfortunately, former Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt’s chances of getting the call rely entirely on the NFL making a decision to correct its absurd oversight of not recognizing these athletes enough. In the event that this correction eventually does occur—that the NFL tries to balance out the position groups in the Hall—Colquitt has a legitimate chance to make it in.
For 15 consecutive seasons, Colquitt played in every game for Kansas City, good for 250 total in his career. He had a career 44.8 yards per punt average, which is 25th all-time in NFL history. While his net average (39.7) lands him just outside of the top 50, he is 8th all-time in total punting yards and 3rd all-time in punts inside the 20 yard line, with 462 (compared to only 98 touchbacks, the best ratio in history).
Colquitt’s chances would be better if the Hall of Fame voters were more equitable but alas, here we are.
7. Tyreek Hill
The Hall of Fame regularly recognizes people who transcend or change the game in some meaningful way; Chiefs Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud is a great example of a player who statistically does not merit a gold jacket, but gets one because of something unique they did or accomplished. (Stenerud was the first pure placekicker in NFL history). Tyreek Hill is that kind of player.
Hill’s speed is unparalleled in the NFL and coupled with his quickness in and out of cuts, he is changing the way that NFL defenses play against Kansas City. Now, he will still have to put up a statistically excellent career, but is certainly on pace to do it with over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns (per season averages) through his first four seasons in the league. Perhaps what buoys “The Cheetah” more than any other reality is that he has an opportunity to spend the next 10 seasons catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. An all-time great quarterback often takes his top wideout with him to Canton.
6. Chris Jones
Chris Jones has a chance to make the Hall of Fame as one of the all-time best interior pass rushers in NFL history. Warren Sapp currently holds the distinction of the most sacks from the inside with 96.5, and he’s in Canton as a result. Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald is likely going to obliterate that mark, amassing 72 in his first six seasons in the league. But only four seasons into what has the makings of an All-Pro caliber career, Jones’ 33 sacks make him the second best defensive tackle in football today. The second half he played in the AFC Championship game against Tennessee was one of the single best halves of football ever played from the position, and he capped that off with two late fourth quarter batted balls in Super Bowl LIV.
There are two big questions facing Jones’ when it comes to his chances at the Hall. First, can he stay healthy? Certainly the groin injury that sidelined him for the end of the 2019 regular season, and severely limited his snaps in the playoffs, is a concern. Second, who else is rushing the passer around him? If teams are able to double and triple team him consistently, it will limit his effectiveness as a pass rusher. If his general manager(s) can put top notch players (like Frank Clark) around him, his career numbers could prove worthy.