John Abraham—Hall-of-Fame Worthy?

By John Turney 

Here's what you should know about former pass rusher John Abraham: He was so productive that his 133-1/2 career sacks rank 13th among the NFL's all-time leaders, just ahead of Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Taylor and just behind Hall-of-Fame finalist Jared Allen. 

In fact, of the 12 Canton-eligible players ahead of Abraham, only two aren't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Allen and first-time candidate Julius Peppers, both considered favorites for the Class of 2024.

Here's what you should also know about John Abraham: He's not only not in the Pro Football Hall; he's never been a finalist or a semifinalist.

Ever.

He wasn't one of 25 semifinalists for next year's class, just as he wasn't among the semifinalists this year ... and last ... and the year before that. In five years of modern-era eligibility, John Abraham hasn't once been a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, provoking the obvious question.

Why?

He was a four-time All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowler. Plus, he tied Michael Strahan in 2001 for the NFL's most forced fumbles with six. I mention that because Strahan is in the Hall, too, elected in 2014 on his second try. But Abraham? Sorry. Not on Canton's guest list.

And I don't understand why. His numbers are similar to edge rushers who have been semifinalists for the Hall and include a couple who advanced as far as the Final 15 -- including the Colts' Dwight Freeney. 

Granted, Freeney won a Super Bowl ring, and Abraham did not. But Freeney also had a quarterback named Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne on the other side of the ball. Name the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers who played with Abraham on the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals.

That's OK. I couldn't, either.

It's also true that Freeney had a signature spin move that we can see in our mind's eye. It was synonymous with him, scoring high on "the eye test," and, yes, that's important. It is, after all, the Hall of Fame. But was Freeney more productive than someone who went to Pro Bowls with three different teams?

You tell me:

-- Freeney played 16 seasons and 218 games; Abraham played 15 years and 192. However, Abraham started more (175-157). Call it a draw.

-- Freeney went to seven Pro Bowls. Abraham went to five. Also, Freeney was All-Pro in (2004-05, and 2009), while Abraham was first-team in 2001, 2008, and 2010. All three of Freeney's All-Pro seasons were consensus with only two of Abraham's. That, plus more Pro Bowls and a place on the 2000s' all-decade team give Freeney the edge in postseason honors.

-- Abraham had 133-1/2 sacks. Freeney had 125-1/2. Abraham had eight seasons with double-digit sacks, 10 with 9-1/2 or more and a career-high of 16-1/2. The Colts "Spin Doctor" had seven seasons with 10 or more plus two more with at least eight. It's close, but a slight edge goes to Abraham.

-- Abraham was more involved in the overall defense, making 560 career tackles to Freeney's 350. That's a big difference. Edge: Abraham.

-- If deflecting passes matter -- and they do -- the 6-foor-4 Abraham had more than the 6-foot-1 Freeney by a margin of two-to-one.

-- Then there are the "splash plays," i.e., moments that change games, with forced fumbles front and center. They're a big deal and were highlighted when Freeney forced an NFL-high nine as a rookie. Chopping the football out of a quarterback's hand, Freeney had a reputation for creating havoc ... and the numbers prove it. He had an astonishing 47 for his career, tied for third all-time with ... you guessed it, John Abraham.

Now, let's get something straight: This isn't to say Abraham is the better player. Nor is it to say that his numbers are significantly better. But it is to say they're not significantly less, either. More to the point, they're in the same ballpark.

And that's the rub.

Freeney is much farther along in the Hall-of-Famer process than Abraham when, in terms of results on the field, the two were much the same. But it's not just Freeney whom Abraham approximates. He went to the same number of Pro Bowls as Jared Allen, for example.  Plus, he's just 2-1/2 sacks behind Allen's total ... but with more forced fumbles.

Freeney's teammate, defensive end Robert Mathis, has been a semifinalist three consecutive years, and while he had more forced fumbles (a league-best 54) than Abraham, he has the same number of Pro Bowls, was All-Pro fewer times and has 10-1/2 fewer sacks. 

So, if they can move forward, why can't John Abraham?

When the Jets made the University of South Carolina standout a first-round draft pick in 2000, they envisioned him as "the next Derrick Thomas" -- with veteran tackle Grant Williams telling the Boston Globe that Abraham was so fast and quick off the ball that  "he's right out of the Derrick Thomas mold."

That was the hope. The reality was that Abraham's career took an immediate turn one year later when the Jets fired Al Groh and replaced him with Herm Edwards. Shifting from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3, Edwards moved Abraham from rush linebacker to defensive end -- a position he played most of his career, be it with the Jets, Atlanta or Arizona, and where he was undersized.

Nevertheless, he became an elite pass rusher, producing double-digit seasons three times in six seasons with the Jets.

No, he didn't have the fame of Derrick Thomas, who excelled at a free-wheeling position. As a mostly 4-3 defensive end who never weighed more than 265 pounds, Abraham had to grind things out opposite bulkier offensive tackles. But he excelled, too, with more career sacks and forced fumbles than Thomas.

So, why can't he at least make the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame's semifinalists list? I don't know, but I do know this isn't the first time that question has been posed. Pass rusher Leslie O'Neal had 132-1/2 career sacks, tying him with Lawrence Taylor for 14th all-time, yet wasn't a semifinalist until his 14th year of modern-era eligibility.

That was also the last time he made it. O'Neal's modern-era eligibility expired when he failed to make the Hall's cut to 25 last month for the 19th time in 20 years.

Like O'Neal, John Abraham deserves better. He deserves to be in a Hall-of-Fame conversation. He compares favorably to Derrick Thomas. He compares favorably to Robert Mathis ... and Jared Allen ... and Dwight Freeney ... and other edge rushers already enshrined. Yet he can't even make a list of 25 semifinalists?

It makes no sense.

Maybe he's been overlooked because of a logjam at his position, with an abundance of accomplished edge rushers eligible for election at approximately the same time. But, whatever the reason, it's not enough. The semifinalists list for the Class of 2024 is sans Abraham. The next year shouldn't be.

John Abraham's career measures up to others whom Hall voters considered worthy of consideration. It's time he was given the same treatment.