More Lavonte David Love – and a Comparison

By Nick Webster

Today, Lavonte David, an all-time great Tampa Bay Buccaneer, retired from the NFL rather than move elsewhere, but will he eventually have to suit up with a different look in Canton? Sadly, I think the likelihood is no, as David is one of the most underrated players in a generation. He is harmed by playing in a small market, by playing at a non “premium” position (whatever that is) by playing in an era when Pro Bowl and All-Pro voters get confused about off-ball versus on-ball OLB’s by coming out of the draft in the same season as Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner and Demario Davis (man, was the LB position stacked in 2012) and by speaking softly and letting his play do the talking.

The consensus top off-ball LBs of the era are Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner, each were fantastic linebacker, team leader, and star player on Super Bowl-winning teams. David himself has a claim to fame on all these dimensions, though his leadership role on the Buccaneer defense is overshadowed by a guy named Tom Brady. Comparing these great LB’s, David’s numbers stand up well. Look at just how similar David and Wagner’s numbers are – yet Wagner is frequently discussed as “future Hall of Famer” Bobby Wagner. 

The only categories where Wagner has a meaningful lead are on overall tackles (much of which is a vestige of the Seahawks press-box being liberal with assists as Wagner’s ~300 TT lead drops to 22 when you’re counting solo tackles) and QB Hits. David, quite simply, made bigger more impactful plays, more sacks, more forced fumbles and more stuffs (tackling a runner or receiver for a loss).

**You will notice slight differences between the above numbers and those published by John Turney in his salute of David earlier today. Note that two TTs of David’s were made on special teams (these are only on defensive plays) and a couple of plays where play-by-plays were updated on stuffs.

His EPA – Expected Points added – and WPA – Win Probability added – are similar but better. His Defeats, plays for negative yardage or plays resulting in turnovers, including stops short of a first down on third or fourth down, are far higher. David produced.

So, David compares favorably with “future HOFer” Bobby Wagner, but really, Luke Kuechly is the class of the era, right? Kuechley, deservedly, received a nod from the Hall this past year – we cheered it and think he should have been first ballot. But let’s compare just the eight years that Kuechly played to the first eight seasons of David’s career, certainly Luke outplayed him over that period ... think again.

Over their first eight seasons, Luke also led David in TT’s, though in this case, David had MORE Solo Tackles than Kuechly (724 to 690). Kuechly legitimately separated himself in pass D, and this was real, but also a function of the scheme, which more frequently had David covering back in the backfield and Kuechly covering TEs running the seam. Outside of this, David leads in practically every category, even if only slightly.

So, he compares favorably in his era, but where does David fit among the all-time greats?  Well, using play-by-play data, David is the seventh leading tackler of all-time, six tackles behind all-time great Derrick Brooks.  

In stuffs, which we defined earlier, he is literally ranked second all-time behind Junior Seau and ahead of third-ranked Bruce Smith – both first ballot HOFers. Finally, David’s 33 FFs are FAR ahead of any known values of top off-ball LB’s all-time, Dick Butkus - and let’s be clear the record is incomplete – is documented by us (after lots of research) with 27 FF’s, Ray Lewis (well documented) 21, Jack Lambert (quite well documented) 18, Mike Singletary 14, Derrick Brooks 25, etc., etc., etc.

So, should David go from wearing Creamsicle Orange in Tampa to Gold in Canton? It’s our belief that he should. Is he an all-time great, perhaps, but is he a great of his era absolutely? The Hall that has room for Deacon, Gino and Reggie also has room for Claude Humphrey. The Hall that has room for Night Train, Mel Blount and Deion also has room for Lem Barney. And that same Hall that has room for Jack Ham, Derrick Brooks and Bobby Bell also found room for Dave Wilcox – and it needs to find room for Lavonte David too.

Lavonte David Retires: Pro Football Journal’s Tribute to a Tackle Master and One of the Most Underrated Defenders of His Era

 By John Turney 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Lavonte David officially announced his retirement from the NFL on March 24, 2026, after a remarkable 14-year career spent entirely with the franchise that drafted him. At 36 years old, the 12-time team captain and longest-tenured player on the Bucs roster walks away as one of the most consistently productive and versatile linebackers of the modern era. We at Pro Football Journal have long maintained that he has been one of the most criminally underrated defenders of his generation.

David was selected in the second round (58th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Nebraska. He stepped in immediately as the heartbeat of the Buccaneers’ defense, earning PFWA All-Rookie honors and never relinquishing his starting role. Across 215 games and 215 starts, he compiled 1,716 combined tackles, 42.5 sacks, 14 interceptions, 73 passes defensed, 33 forced fumbles, 21 fumble recoveries, and 145 run/pass stuffs. He earned a Super Bowl LV ring in 2020, first-team All-Pro honors in 2013, two second-team All-Pro selections (2016 and 2020), and a Pro Bowl nod in 2015.

Those numbers, impressive as they are, only begin to tell the story. For more than a decade, we have highlighted David’s excellence through film study and advanced metrics that truly reveal his impact.

In our September 2024 piece “What We’re All Missing About Bucs’ Lavonte David,” we pointed out that he has been perpetually overlooked by AP All-Pro voters and Hall of Fame discussions, yet the plays that actually win football games paint a far different picture. 

David has repeatedly led the league—or finished near the top—in run/pass stuffs (tackles for loss or minimal gain at or behind the line of scrimmage), a metric we track closely at Pro Football Journal, thanks to Nick Webster. His ability to diagnose plays instantly, pursue with outstanding speed, and finish in the backfield against both the run and in coverage has been elite for years.

We've written then that “he has been so good for so long but always seems to be overlooked.” That sentiment held true across multiple seasons. In our All-Pro selections, we gave him first-team four times and second-team three times. Additionally, we named him All-NFC ten times (nine of those first team). Only Pro Football Focus picked him about as often for “alls”, choosing him five times for their All-Pro team, but at least they outdistanced AP and PFWA.

When assembling our 2010s All-Decade Team, we selected David as our Will linebacker and called him one of the top three linebackers of the decade. We noted that the Hall of Fame would almost certainly favor traditional middle linebackers, but when judged by actual production, David’s body of work is undeniable.

In pieces on unsung tackle masters, we have ranked him seventh all-time in authentic play-by-play tackles in the post-1999 era and second only to Junior Seau in career stuffs with 145, while tying Seau for the most seasons with double-digit stuffs (eight). “His impact stands out beyond volume,” we have written repeatedly, urging evaluators to focus on the tape and the numbers rather than market size or team wins and losses.

David’s versatility has always set him apart. He could cover like a defensive back, blitz with precise timing, and—most impressively—stuff runs with the instincts of a throwback 1990s great. We have often described him as a modern-day “poor man’s Derrick Brooks.” However, that may be shorting David with that observation. There are some things he did better than the Bucs Hall-of-Fame off-ball linebacker, blitzing for example, but in terms of perceived careers, if you just go by the All-Pros/Pro Bowls, then yeah, David does look poor in comparison, but in our view, not in skill.

Even in his final seasons, he continued to produce efficiently, climbing all-time tackle charts with legitimate, reviewed statistics and defying the effects of age. Off the field, David embodied leadership as a 12-time captain chosen by his teammates. In his emotional retirement press conference, he spoke movingly of his parents’ sacrifices, the joy of fatherhood, and playing the game for the pure love of it. “God is amazing,” he reflected on a journey he never imagined would last 14 years in one place.

As the Buccaneers turn the page without their longtime defensive anchor, our verdict at Pro Football Journal remains unchanged: Lavonte David was an elite, durable, playmaking linebacker whose sustained excellence belongs in the conversation with the very best of his generation. The Hall of Fame may take its time—voters have missed on him before—but the tape, the advanced stats, and the respect of those who study the game most deeply do not lie.

Thank you, Lavonte. Fourteen years of quiet, relentless greatness. One of the true tackle masters of the modern NFL. You will be missed on Sundays, but your legacy at One Buc Place—and on our pages—is secure.

Career stats—

A Texas-Sized Trainwreck: Dual Perspectives on the 1952 Dallas Texans Books

Book Reviews

By Jim Holt 

“Dallas Texans”…The response from the general follower of pro football will be either “don’t you mean the Houston Texans?” or “never heard of them.”

To most fans interested in the history of the game, the response is, “That’s the team that became the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Truly fanatical (like everybody here at PFJ) NFL devotees know the Texans went broke only halfway through their single year … road team … had Art Donovan and Gino Marchetti …upset the Bears in Akron, Ohio, on Thanksgiving for their only win … maybe recall the Steve Sabol feature from the 1980s.

Serendipitously, TWO books on the 1952 Dallas Texans have been recently published!

Take a look:

"Wards of the League: The Untold Story of the First NFL Team in Dallas" - Mike Cobern, 221 p. TCU Press (2024)

Giles Miller was the scion of an apparently wealthy but (as it turned out) decaying Texas textile empire founded by his father.  Raised in an environment of western-style opulance, Miller attended the best schools, had membership in the most prestigious clubs in Dallas, and rubbed shoulders with the movers and shakers of Texas business and politics.  

Author Coburn recounts the journey to the eventual discovery of Miller’s privately rare and unpublished  1972 memoir, “The Dallas Texans Saga: Or At the Time the New York Yanks Became the Baltimore Colts.”  Having never operated any business and lacking experience in management, when Ted Collins abandoned the money pit that was the Yanks and sold the team back to the league, Miller hit on the “it seemed a good idea at the time” of bringing the NFL to football-crazed Texas. Commissioner Bert Bell offered the team for $100,000, and in January 1952 Miller bought the franchise for and to Dalas.. The chronology remains opaque, but at some point, Bell informed the Texans that their obligation included an additional 200 grand that the Yanks still owed to Yankee Stadium for a long-term lease.  

In order to fund the unanticipated new financial burden (and more importantly) to get operating capital (which any business person would have forecast), Miller turned to his well-to-do cronies within the Dallas establishment as potential investors. None took advantage of the “opportunity.”

Miller’s memoir portrays Bell as unsympathetic to his situation and describes multiple conversations where he describes Bell as hectoring and scolding rather than offering support and/or advice.

Coburn does a fine job chronicling the day-to-day development of front office and business activity through the late winter and spring.  The chronic lack of funds and Miller’s inexperience and naivete color virtually every decision. Almost every assumption or financial projection that the Texans and Miller, including Cotton Bowl leasing arrangements and attendance, turned out to be disastrously wrong.  The Texans went broke and turned the franchise back to the league just 46 days (and only 4 home games) into the 1952 season.

Later chapters describe the “football operations” part of the story and bring out in vivid detail many of the personalities that made up the Texans; Coach Jimmy Phelan’s role in working to build a team more or less from the dregs of leftover Yanks is a particular highlight.

Wards of the League does an excellent job in providing week-by-week reporting of games and the between-game events that led to the demise of the franchise. Poignant and hilarious simultaneously are the chapters detailing the odyssey of relocation to Hershey, Pennsylvania and the subsequent legendary Thanksgiving triumph over the Bears in Akron, Ohio.

Mike Coburn has largely filled a heretofore missing gap in pro football history. While there are a few quibbles that the most nitpicky (or maniacal) might pick (note: discrepancies between roster appendix and PFR), this is a sturdy work and quality effort.  

Grade: A-minus overall

"A Big Mess In Texas: The Miraculous, Disastrous 1952 Dallas Texans and the Craziest Untold Story in NFL History"- Dave Fleming 270 p. St. Martin's Press (2025)

Dave Fleming is also the author of "Breaker Boys: the NFLs Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship" about the Pottsville Maroons, and here independently recounts many of the events described in Wards of the League.

The tone and focus of Mess differ in significant respects.  Importantly and early on, it identifies George Taliaferro and Buddy Young as arguably the two most significant players on the Texans squad.

Of course, Taliaferro and Young were the two African-American members of the team and the former Yanks were going to be playing in a Jim Crow part of the country.

Fleming explores in detail the history of racism in Texas, pointing out in painful reading how Texas was one of the most repressive slave States leading up to the Civil War, and among the most aggressive in the subsequent enforcement of the apartheid policy that ruled in most of the American South well into the 20th century.  He points out both the popularity of the Ku Klux Klan in Texas and the state’s number of and reliance upon lynchings as tools of racial intimidation.

The Cotton Bowl policy of segregated seating (black ticket holders were limited to certain end-zone sections in the 75,000 capacity venue) was a crucial factor in the Texans' inability to generate attendance.  Black fans who otherwise wanted to see Young and Taliferro were repulsed by the two-tiered status conferred upon them and almost universally boycotted the team; most white fans in 1952 no interest in and wanted no part of watching blacks (they would use a different term) play football.

An additional cultural hurdle (in football-crazy Texas) that Miller had not foreseen but Fleming vividly shares is the power of the Bible Belt.  As late as the 1950s, much of Christian conservatism believed (strongly) that sports events on “the Sabbath” were verboten; pro football on a Sunday was taboo (and somehow unseemly compared to the Saturday college version).

A Big Mess highlights the vast cultural gap between what Giles Miller assumed Dallas would support in 1952 and theJim Crow reality that existed at that time. The sea-change in American historical events that occurred in the following decade plus are not touched on in the book, but the 21st-century reader can vicariously experience a world that (in part at least) is “gone with the wind”.

One thing that detracts from the book is that the text is padded (a lot) with anecdotes about players. There are numerous recountings of “war-stories”, pranks, and silliness. This reviewer usually enjoys this kind of material in a football narrative, but in this case, the stories are almost exclusively retreads of tales Art Donovan tells in his memoir, and several of which take place during his and Gino Marchetti’s days in Baltimore. Four(!) full pages of old Hardy Brown stories who NEVER PLAYED for Dallas simply do not belong in a history of the Texans.

Curmudgeonly grumbling aside, Dave Fleming has provided us a truly enlightening spotlight on the history of the Dallas Texans. Moreover, he makes a vivid case for posterity to recognize George Taliferro as a heroic trainblazier and provides a compelling argument that his HoF candidacy should be
re-assessed. Many who read or are involved with PFJ know that Willie Thrower (53 Bears) is the answer to the trivia question “who was the first black NFL quarterback?”  Fleming informs us that Taliferro had thrown 96 passes in the NFL before Thrower took a snap. 

Grade: B overall

A Look Back at History Made in the 2025 Season: Calais Campbell Becomes the Oldest Player Ever to Block a Kick in an NFL Season

 by Nick Webster

Some records seem like they'll stand forever — buried deep in the statistical archaeology of professional football, known only to the obsessive researchers who catalogue the game's forgotten corners. The record for the oldest player to block a kick in an NFL regular season was one of them. For nearly half a century, that distinction belonged to Ron McDole, a Washington defensive end who swatted a Colts field goal attempt on a November afternoon in 1978 at the age of 39 years and 58 days.

Then came Calais Campbell, and December 2025.

In back-to-back weeks spanning December 14 and December 21, 2025, Campbell — back in a Cardinals uniform at the age of 39 — blocked two kicks, including a Zach Gonzalez extra point in the season's final stretch. The December 21st block, recorded at 39 years and 111 days old, cleared McDole's mark by more than 50 days, settling the matter definitively.

It is, according to my historical blocked kick database underlying this research (4,673 blocks deep from 1920 to date, and growing), the oldest age at which any player has blocked a kick in NFL history.

Who Was Ron McDole?

Ron McDole is not a name that registers easily in the modern football conversation, and that's precisely the point. A defensive end drafted in 1961, McDole bounced from the NFL to the AFL early in the turbulent merger era, spending the bulk of his career with the Buffalo Bills and later the Washington Redskins. He was a skilled pass rusher and a nightmare on the punt and kick coverage units — a player with light feet for his size who understood leverage and timing well enough to make blockers look foolish into his late 30s.

His last recorded block came on November 6, 1978, when he got his hand on a Toni Linhart field goal attempt for the Washington franchise. He was 39 years and 58 days old. The record sat untouched across 47 years and thousands of games.

What Makes Campbell's Achievement Extraordinary

Age records in football tend to belong to kickers, punters, and quarterbacks — positions where longevity is built into the job description. A kick blocker at 39 is a different matter entirely. Blocking a kick requires elite timing, first-step explosion, and the ability to win inside against an offensive lineman in a compact space. These are the exact athletic traits that time erodes first in big men.  You’ll find many kick blockers who compile numbers early, then trail off.

Campbell entered the league in 2008 as a second-round pick out of The U. He spent the better part of a decade as a highly complete defensive lineman among the most complete in the game — a 6'8", 300-pound force capable of collapsing a pocket, stopping the run, and disrupting the kicking game with equal authority. He has blocked 11 kicks across his career, according to the detail log, the first coming in his Arizona debut season, the last arriving in the final weeks of the 2025 season.

That the same player who blocked kicks as a 22-year-old first-year starter is still recording them at 39 is not just longevity — it is sustained elite athleticism across an almost incomprehensible time span.

The Two December 2025 Blocks

The first came on December 14 against Houston, when Campbell got his hand on a Ka'imi Fairbairn 52-yard field goal attempt. He was 39 years and 104 days old — breaking McDole’s almost 50-year-old mark.

Seven days later, on December 21, he blocked Gonzalez's extra point attempt for the Cardinals. He was 39 years and 111 days old, extending the mark even further.

Why This Record Matters

Football history is dominated by the countable, the cumulative, and the season total. Records organized around when a thing happened — the oldest, the youngest, the longest gap — occupy a different register. They're harder to discover, harder to verify, and seldom recognized in real time.

McDole's record survived because almost no one knew it existed. Campbell didn't break it by chasing it. He broke it by still being good enough, at 39, to get off the line fast enough, with enough leverage, to alter a kick —twice— in the final month of a professional football season.

Ron McDole held that distinction for 47 years. Calais Campbell earned it through a career that has refused, for nearly two decades, to stop producing.

The Titans Back to Looking Like the Tennessee Oilers

 By John Turney 

Tennessee Titans new uniforms

The Tennessee Titans rolled out their 2026 uniforms on March 12, and right off the bat, it's clear the franchise is leaning hard into its Houston Oilers heritage. The new set brings back that classic "Luv Ya Blue" vibe with a heavy dose of Titans Blue (that familiar Columbia/light blue) as the primary jersey color, red trim popping where it should, and a cleaner, more retro feel overall. The light blue is "Titans blue" not Columbia Blue. A distinction without a difference.

The home look features light blue jerseys that instantly recall the Oilers' powder-blue classics from the Earl Campbell days—simple, bold, and timeless. They've ditched much of the recent Nike-inspired navy-heavy schemes for this brighter palette, a direct nod to the AFL/NFL era in Houston without fully copying the old derrick logo or exact striping (though the shoulder/yoke elements and red accents clearly show the Oilers influence). 

 The jerseys feature a new, "guitar string" inspired stripe pattern on the sleeves, a "TN" monogram on the collar, and three navy blue stars on the uniform. In our view, the stripe is too thin, even though we get Nike's desire to "connect" with local culture in the explanations, the design still has to work. As a design element, to us, it does not work. It will look like a fat light blue stripe. The red stripe will not be noticeable. Oh well.

The white helmet with a white face mask is also a bit of a disappointment. Red would have been much better. Just not a fan of white lids and white makes. Contrast is king, makes uniforms pop.

Pants stay straightforward having the same stripe design as the sleeves on both the light blue and white models. Heck, we're just happy they have stripes. The socks look to be solid, sans any striping. Not our favorite but par for the course these days. 

It's not a straight throwback; it embraces the Oilers DNA while planting the flag firmly in Tennessee. No overdesigned gimmicks, no unnecessary swooshes cluttering things up—just solid, nostalgic football aesthetics.

Pros: The light blue revival looks sharp on the field, captures the retro vide without feeling forced and mostly does not smack too much of Nike. They are the ones who seemed to have wrecked so many uniforms in the decades. Overall,  a big step up from some of the more muddled recent Titans looks.

Cons:  A few minor tweaks—like perhaps bolder numbers or helmet logo placement—could push it higher. Also the thin red stripe on sleeve falls short.

Overall, solid work. Grading it out: B.

Seymour Siwoff former Owner of Elias Sports Bureau receives Ralph Hay Award from Pro Football Hall of Fame

 By John Turney 

Siwoff, who led Elias for an incredible 67 years until his passing in 2019, played a pivotal role in NFL history. Under his leadership, Elias became the league's official statistician in 1961, bringing consistency, accuracy, and innovation to how the game’s numbers were recorded, preserved, and expanded—including the creation of new statistical categories that helped shape modern analysis.

Hall of Fame President Jim Porter highlighted Siwoff's impact: "Seymour used his knowledge, talent and passion for numbers to help the NFL record and preserve its history through a game-by-game, consistent application of statistics, and over time the creation of new statistics to track. You cannot tell the history of the NFL without its statistics, and Seymour — and his decades of work at Elias Sports Bureau — did more in that area than any other individual."

Siwoff has been nominated for the Pioneer Award at least since 2003 (then known as the  Daniel F. Reeves Pioneer Award) when he began to write annually to suggest he (and Merv Corning) be recognized. It finally came to fruition, at least for Seymour. Congratulations to him and everyone at Elias.

The Ralph Hay Pioneer Award, named after the Canton Bulldogs owner who hosted the NFL's foundational meeting in 1920, recognizes significant innovative contributions to professional football. Established in 1972, it's been awarded sparingly—only 11 times before—with the most recent going to Spanish-language broadcaster Fernando Von Rossum in 2024. Siwoff becomes the 12th recipient.

Note: Siwoff was also a semifinalist for the Class of 2026 in the contributor category, though this award recognizes his pioneering legacy separately.

This is a well-deserved nod to a behind-the-scenes giant whose work remains foundational to how we understand and celebrate NFL history.

Previous recipients:

• 1972 — Fred Gehrke: L.A. Rams halfback who first painted logos on helmets.
• 1975 — Arch Ward: Initiated the Chicago All-Star Game.
• 1986 — John Facenda: The iconic "Voice of NFL Films".
• 1992 — David Boss: NFL Properties VP and creative director/photographer.
• 2001 — George Toma: Longtime head groundskeeper known as the "God of Sod".
• 2004 — Pottsville, PA: Recognized for the city's undying spirit and support of NFL history (Pottsville Maroons).
• 2007 — Steve Sabol: President of NFL Films and influential filmmaker.
• 2012 — Art McNally: Pioneer in NFL officiating and the implementation of instant replay.
• 2016 — Joe Browne:  Longtime NFL executive who helped shape the league's global image for over 50 years.
• 2022 — The Forgotten Four:  Marion Motley, Woody Strode, Kenny Washington, and Bill Willis, who reintegrated pro football in 1946.
• 2024 — Fernando Von Rossum: Trailblazing Spanish-language broadcaster who introduced the NFL to millions of fans.
• 2026 — Seymour Siwoff: Former owner of the Elias Sports Bureau, recognized for preserving and innovating NFL statistics

We're pleased to see that the Hall is taking better advantage of this award, naming a recipient every couple of years, rather than every four or five. It is a good way to recognize folks who are memorable and have bestowed upon us pleasures that have made the game of pro football part of our fiber.

Fourth Time a Charm? For the Fourth Time, Rams Trade for a Chiefs Cornerback.

 By John Turney 

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Rams finalized a blockbuster trade, acquiring All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a hefty package: the No. 29 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (first-rounder), a 2027 third-round pick, plus fifth- and sixth-round selections this year. It's the largest haul the Chiefs have ever received in a cornerback trade with the Rams.

This marks the fourth time the Rams have traded for a cornerback originally drafted by the Chiefs—clearly a recurring theme between these two franchises.

The pattern began with Eric Harris, a 6-foot-3, 198-pound corner out of Memphis selected by Kansas City in the fourth round of the 1977 NFL Draft. After a three-year stint in the Canadian Football League, Harris signed with the Chiefs in 1980 and quickly claimed the right cornerback spot opposite their 1977 first-round pick, Gary Green (more on him shortly).

From 1980–1982, Harris intercepted 17 passes, ranking fifth in the NFL over that span. By the summer of 1983, the Rams were overhauling their defense, shifting from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme while addressing a weak secondary that struggled in 1982. Longtime starters Rod Perry and Pat Thomas, along with backup Lucious Smith, were all traded by late August. Leroy Irvin and Kirk Collins emerged as the new starters, and the Rams sent running back Jewerl Thomas to Kansas City for Harris to provide depth at both corner spots (alongside Monte Jackson, acquired in the same Thomas deal).

Tragedy struck early: Collins suffered a hamstring injury, and during recovery, doctors discovered throat cancer that soon proved fatal. With Jackson underperforming, Harris stepped in as a starter. In Fritz Shurmur's bend-but-don't-break defense, he intercepted four passes and returned them for 100 yards total—solid, reliable play, though not at the elite level the Rams had enjoyed from Perry and Thomas in their primes. In 1984, when injuries devastated the Rams' safety group, Harris stepped in and played strong safety in the Rams' base defense and slot in the nickel until he went down with a bum ankle.

Next came Gary Green himself. The Chiefs entered 1984 believing rookie nickelback Albert Lewis could handle (or even surpass) Green's production at left corner. They also planned upgrades at right corner—Lucious Smith (acquired from the Rams in 1983) wasn't working out—so Green became expendable with draft capital and a free-agent addition in the works.

The Rams pounced, sending a first-round pick and a fifth-round pick to Kansas City for Green. He wasn't thrilled, appearing on Kansas City TV to declare the trade wouldn't improve the Chiefs. 

However, he did improve the Rams' left corner position for two solid seasons: earning second-team All-Pro honors (NEA) in 1984 as a man-coverage specialist in a mostly zone scheme, then posting an even stronger 1985 campaign with his fourth Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-NFC recognition (UPI). He was a strong slot defender in 1985 in the nickel and dime packages and would get some pressure on blitzes. He was seemingly getting better, more diverse. 

But sadly, a career-ending neck injury in 1986 cut his tenure short. The feisty corner who loved the game had to retire because of the risk of paralysis. 

The Rams-Chiefs cornerback pipeline struck again in 2018, when Los Angeles sent a 2018 fourth-round pick and a 2019 second-round pick to Kansas City for star cornerback Marcus Peters (the Chiefs also included a 2018 sixth-rounder in the deal). Unlike the premium hauls for Gary Green (first- and fifth-round picks) or the recent Trent McDuffie blockbuster, the return here was modest—largely due to Peters' significant off-field baggage.

Peters was undeniably talented: a first-round pick (18th overall) in 2015, he earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors that season, made second-team All-Pro (AP), and followed with consensus All-Pro status in 2016 as a two-time Pro Bowler. But by 2017–18, tensions escalated in Kansas City. He protested by sitting during the national anthem without public explanation, clashed verbally with coaches and teammates, fostered locker-room division, and earned a multi-game suspension for tossing a referee's flag into the stands. While Gary Green had been vocal about front-office decisions, Peters' behavior crossed into disruptive territory, forcing the Chiefs' hand. Without that baggage, he likely commands a first-round equivalent package.

For the Rams—fresh off an 11-5 breakout in Sean McVay's 2017 debut—they were aggressively upgrading the secondary to contend. They paired Peters with newly signed veteran Aqib Talib, making the risk worthwhile despite his volatility.

The gamble delivered immediate results. In 2018, Peters started all 16 games, intercepting three passes—including a pick-six—and helped anchor a defense that propelled the Rams to the Super Bowl (though they fell to the Patriots). His play was strong enough to land him on the NFL's Top 100 Players list at No. 79.

Like Green's stint, Peters' time in L.A. proved brief. Midway through 2019, the Rams traded him to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for linebacker Kenny Young and a 2020 fifth-round pick. (In the same period, they also dealt Talib and soon acquired Jalen Ramsey, essentially overhauling the corner spots midseason.)

Peters tallied five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) across 22 games with the Rams, but the franchise moved on quickly—another short, high-impact chapter in this ongoing Rams-Chiefs cornerback tradition.

In summary, across the three prior instances, the Rams surrendered a first-round pick (for Gary Green), a second-rounder plus a fourth (for Marcus Peters), and a former third-rounder in running back Jewerl Thomas (effectively part of the Eric Harris package)—plus assorted residual picks and players in the deals. In return, they received 86 games and 72 starts from Harris, Green, and Peters combined. The trio delivered 17 interceptions for 411 return yards and three pick-sixes: Harris provided steady, if unspectacular, play; Green excelled as a Pro Bowler before injury; and Peters performed at a high level en route to the Super Bowl.

But in each case, the Rams' secondary—and the team overall—saw tangible improvement and greater success during those players' tenures. So there is that.

Now comes Trent McDuffie, the latest chapter in this Rams-Chiefs cornerback tradition. At 26 years old (a year older than Peters was upon arrival, and 2–3 years younger than Harris and Green), McDuffie arrives as a proven All-Pro with the potential for a longer, more impactful run as a long-term solution. He's expected to sign a lucrative extension with L.A., locking in his prime years.

Scheme fit remains a question: Vic Fangio's influence leans toward zone-heavy concepts, while McDuffie (like the previous three) thrives as a man-coverage specialist. But he also does more, while playing mostly outside, he has provided a lot of big plays for the Chiefs, especially in 2023 as a slot, blitzing quarterbacks, sacking them, knocking balls loose. He was a true playmaker in coverage and pass rush, so it seems McDuffie brings more to the table than previous iterations of this scenario.

On paper, this looks like the Rams' strongest acquisition yet in the pipeline—premium talent for premium cost, aimed at pushing a team that fell just one game short of the Super Bowl back into championship contention.

We'll see how it translates on the field next season. History suggests these moves pay dividends for L.A., at least in the short-to-medium term. 

Stay tuned—this could be the one that sticks.

Career stats 

SUNDAY SAGA: "To Keep My Mind on the Things I'm Saying"

by TJ Troup 

Have long looked forward to writing about both Don Currivan & Dan Sandifer. Today is Dan Sandifer's birthday, and later in the week will be Don Currivan's. Continuing with March birthdays, the title comes from a James Taylor song. You can't go wrong with "Sweet Baby James"! During the 1943 NFL draft the Eagles took the immortal Roy "Monk" Gafford with the 17th pick; next up, the Cardinals and they chose Don Currivan. 

Don Currivan

Hopefully, you are ready for the twists & turns of an NFL career that should be well known and admired, yet there may be some of you out there that need to be educated & enlightened on Currivan. He scores a touchdown in his very first game against Detroit in '43, and later in the campaign catches his first touchdown pass against Philadelphia. The Cardinals are poorly coached and not very talented in '43, and combined with Pittsburgh in '44 to form the woebegone Card-Pitt team (winless). 

Currivan catches some passes, but leaves Chicago after the season to join the Boston Yanks. His excellent speed gets him open deep during the 1945 & 1946 seasons, yet he catches only 27 total passes. 

Having color footage of the 1947 Boston Yanks is a joy to watch; many thanks to my departed friend Mr. Steve Sabol, and as such can detail the Yanks' victory over the Redskins in late November at Fenway. Currivan rarely starts at the end, yet in the first quarter, he is in the game at left end and runs a "streak" as Boley Danecwicz avoids the pass rush and heaves the ball that Don latches onto for a 63-yard gain. Boston is ahead at half-time 13-3, but Mr. Baugh rallies his 'Skins to take a 17-13 lead. Currivan is now in at right end and basically just runs deep across the field to take Dancewicz's accurate pass and scores on a 67-yard touchdown. 

Washington regains the lead 24-20 in the fourth quarter, yet again Dancewicz lofts the ball deep to Currivan for 51 yards and Boston will win the game 27-24. Since Boston is almost always in a double tight end alignment, Currivan could be listed as a "tight" end and catches three passes for 181 yards! No one has ever averaged 60 yards a catch since (player must have at least three receptions). 

Earlier in the '47 season, Currivan caught a touchdown pass and intercepted a pass in the same game vs. Los Angeles. After playing three games for the Yanks in '48, he was shipped to the Rams. He catches 10 passes for the Rams in '48, but Los Angeles has rookie sensation Tom Fears at left end, and he, of course, is the main target for Waterfield. 

Since Bob Shaw is at right end for the '49 Rams, it looks like Currivan's talents just might again go to waste, wait? The Rams, under the guidance of Clark Shaughnessy moves him to right corner. Having studied & evaluated Currivan, he was simply the best right corner in the NFL that season. A prime example is the October 9th victory over the Bears! Second quarter, second and eight on the Ram 24, and Currivan intercepts Luckman in the end zone for a touchback. 

Clark Shaughnessy

Later in the quarter, on first and ten on the Bear 27-yard line, Currivan pilfers a Blanda pitch and returns 15 yards. How many players in league history have intercepted two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in the same quarter? Though the Rams struggle down the stretch after beginning 6-0, they can win the Western Division crown with a victory over Washington on December 11th. Playing for the 'Skins that afternoon was Dan Sandifer, so we will go back a year earlier for the 1948 draft. Washington needed help badly on pass defense since they finished dead last in '47 with a defensive passer rating of 80.7 (league average 57.6), so we can surmise that other receivers besides Currivan in '47 torched the Redskin secondary. 

Dan Sandifer 

Dan Sandifer is athletic, instinctive, with excellent speed and ties the league mark of intercepting in six consecutive games, oh the NFL incorrectly listed the first men to intercept in six consecutive games for years in the league record manual? Shame on you, Elias for not correcting sooner, though were given the opportunity to do so by the author. Sandifer pilfers 13 passes in twelve games to set a new standard and the Redskins improve in team pass defense in '48 with a mark of 57.6 (league average is 60.0). Of all the games Dan played in '48 going to highlight his performance on October 3rd against the Giants. He starts at safety (three-man secondary) and is never out of position the entire game. 

Washington has a commanding lead when Sandifer comes into the game on offense in the fourth quarter at left halfback. Slingin' Sam sends him into motion to the right and he strides down the field to take Baugh's accurate pass behind the Giants' secondary for an 86-yard score. Very late in the game, he ranges to his left and intercepts Governali. Sandifer also contributes to the kick return game as he leads the league on kick-off yards returned, including a touchdown against the Packers. 

Now, back to December 11th, 1949 and a day in which both of these talented players will attempt to limit the future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in this key match-up. When Harry Gilmer struggles mightily enter 13-year veteran Baugh and he slings it all over the field in trying to keep pace with Van Brocklin & Waterfield. Sandifer catches a 19-yard touchdown pass in the 1st quarter and also intercepts in this game. 

Currivan does not intercept in the game. The Rams finished 9th in 1948 in the defensive passer rating category, but with Currivan's tour de force work at right corner, along with Williams at safety, and Duke Sims at left corner, the Rams rose to 3rd in '49 with a mark of 42.4 (league average was 53.9). Though the Rams are demolished by a very strong Philadelphia Eagles team in the title game, Currivan, in the final game of his career, intercepts twice. How many players in league history have ended their career by intercepting twice? Don Currivan left us way too soon at age 36 in 1956. 

As for Sandifer, he is sent to the Lions in 1950 and intercepts for Detroit in his very first game (the O'Malley debacle), but after 5 games, he is sent to the Niners, and then ends the season with the Eagles for five games. That means Dan Sandifer was teammates with Bobby Layne, Leo Nomellini and Chuck Bednarik in the same season! 

Sandifer stays with the Eagles in '51 and plays both ways, and there is a famous photo of the last game of the '51 season of a deep pass by Cleveland and you see Sandifer defending wearing mittens! Dan joins Green Bay in '52 but is sent to the Chicago Cardinals at the beginning of '53, only to return for one game at mid-season for Green Bay (he returns punts). His career is over after just 64 games, yet few men have ever had as strong a rookie season as he did in 1948.

Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood Fall Short

 By John Turney 

L.C. Greenwood (left) and Ken Anderson (right)

The massive hullabaloo surrounding the Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft snubs sucked up so much air in the room that it left almost none for the reality that two other senior candidates also got passed over — Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood.

Those two, plus Roger Craig, were the trio that made it out of the seniors committee process and got presented to the full Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors. Unlike Craig, they didn't pull in the votes needed for induction. We're calling it "needed" because election required at least 40 out of 50 votes (that's the 80% minimum threshold). Well, unless nobody hit 40—in which case it'd go to the top vote-getter (or get split in a tie but that is a story for another day).

We have no clue whether Craig actually cleared that 80% bar or not. All we know for sure is that he was the lone survivor from the combined seniors, coaches, and contributors finalists group to get voted in this year. 

Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson and Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood didn't make the cut—and it's tough to see either one getting another real shot down the line. Both had popped up on the modern-era final 15 list back in the day, and now they've finally reached that make-or-break yes/no stage in the seniors process. But justifying slots for them in future classes? That looks like a long shot.

Anderson's resume has some real shine: he won four passing titles (passer rating leader in 1974, 1975, 1981, and 1982—one of a few guys in NFL history to hit that mark, and the only one with consecutive titles across two different decades). He was the 1981 NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year, plus he led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance that same year (Super Bowl XVI, where he played solid but they fell to Joe Montana's 49ers 26-21).

That said, whenever passer rating (the basis for those passing titles) comes up, you hear the same old debate: it's a great stat on one hand, but it's often called flawed or era-dependent on the other. Pick your side—go figure. 

We think Anderson's best claim is that his career is on par with Ken Stabler's. And even Dan Fouts in some ways. Both of them started slow and then had career-ending slides, Fouts less so, and Anderson had a down era, but it was in the middle of his career. It was a different career path but his early-1980s comeback is to his credit, falling from MVP level to let's call it average, back to MVP-level.

It does seem unfair that Anderson is left out, given that Stabler, especially, is not far ahead of him, if any, really. Perhaps the separator is the Super Bowl ring Stabler owns,

With Greenwood, it was also a close-but-no-cigar scenario. He has the four rings, was a vital part of the Steel Curtain Defense, the best edge rusher they had. He was touted by his supporters as a run-stopper, someone who was a left-end who did "the dirty work" for the Steelers, the "two-gap" guy.

That wasn't true, as far as the two-gap, but he was a strong run defender. If he weren't the Steelers' defensive coach, Bud Carson, would not have had him on the field. He was a defensive end who could play the run and who was an excellent pass rusher. 

Sometimes his sack totals were not elite, but if pressures were counted, he'd have had a lot. A group like Pro Football Focus (PFF) or NextGen Stats would be his friend had they existed because they often praise guys like that. Maybe a modern era comp may be Rob Burnett or DeMarcus Lawrence, who will be showing his wares in Super Bowl LX, in terms of role. Burnett player before the era of those analytics companies, but Lawrence is a darling of PFF as someone who is a complete edge player.

The question is whether that is good enough for the Hall of Fame.

Greenwood has two consensus All-Pro seasons and was voted to six Pro Bowls, but he wasn't able to get a high number of sacks, even unofficial ones. A nice round mark of 100 or more would have helped. But he was nearly two dozen short of that. 

The book is not entirely shut on these two; the seniors committee could vote them out of the committee again, it has happened before, but how fair would that be to those who are still waiting for their cases to be presented to the full committee? The seniors committee will probably choose new blood next year. 

Hopefully, there will be changes in the process so more than one player/coach/contributor will end up with a Gold Jacket, as has happened in the last two classes. One is not enough.

Roger Craig—A Hall of Famer But Did Not Revolutionize Running Back Position

 By John Turney 

Exuberance is fine. After a long wait, Roger Craig, per media reports, will be announced as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 and his fans are excited. But exaggeration should be tempered.

Among them was former teammate Ronnie Lott who said on X, "Ronnie Lott, He changed the game." Really?

The Rush With Travis and Ross posted this: "Roger Craig changed the running back position and deserves to be in the NFL Hall of Fame!"

Part true. Yes, many think Craig is deserving and now voters agree.

Another supporter posted, "Transformed the RB position.  First all-purpose back, and had combined yardage that no other RBs did. A key man on a historic dynasty." 

Two assertions are true, two are not

And another, "Roger Craig changed the game which we see today with running and pass catching RBs, defensively(sic) likely meant "definite" a hall of famer."

There were many other comments, but you get the point—many think he changed the game. But did he?

One can be worthy of the Hall of Fame and have achievements that surpassed previous players, but still not have "changed the game" or "changed the running back position." 

The point they make is that Craig was a supreme runner and pass catcher and was the first player to gain 1,000 yards rushing and also have 1,000 yards receiving in the same season, the first "1,000-1,000" man.

But is that changing the role of a running back? Or is it being more prolific than those who came before? The case for the latter is stronger.

Backs have always been receivers; it is just a matter of degree. Check out Chuck Mutryn, who played for the Buffalo Bills in the old AAFC. In 1948, he ran for 823 yards and caught passes for 794 more. 

The Colts' Lenny Moore was a fine receiver, though he was usually catching passes as a flanker, moving out from his right halfback position. Clem Daniels, the Raiders back, was a fine receiver out of the backfield, as were quite a few AFL running backs.

In the 1970s, both the Vikings' Chuck Foreman and Lydell Mitchell, who played for the Colts in his prime, led the NFL in receptions in three seasons (Mitchell twice). In fact, from 1974 through 1979, a running back led the NFL in pass catches each season. Craig had a teammate—Earl Cooper, who caught 83 passes in 1980 while running for 794 yards. While not an exhaustive list, it shows that catching passes was a thing before Roger Craig. 

The only difference is that Craig took it to a new level with the 1,000-1,000 milestone, and THAT is what was a key factor in his presumed induction to the Hall. As it should be.

That and the old "eye-test" because anyone who saw him play would say he was unique. A high-stepping speedster with power. He could block as well as pass and catch.

He also had the accolades:

• 3× Super Bowl champion (XIX, XXIII, XXIV)—key contributor to one of the NFL's greatest dynasties.
• 4× Pro Bowl (1985, 1987–1989)
• NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1988)
• First-team All-Pro (1988), second-team All-Pro (1985)
• NFL 1980s All-Decade Team

Overall, the seniors committee saw fit to pass his name on to the full Board of Selectors and enough of them gave him the thumbs up, if media reports are to be believed—the announcement is tonight at the NFL Honors program. 

So congratulations are in order, Roger Craig is a Hall of Famer. But he didn't really "change" the running back position or the game, unless we're missing something.

Robert Kraft, Too?

 By John Turney 

Media reports contend Robert Kraft will join Bill Belichick on the sidelines when the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is announced Thursday at the NFL Honors show. And the Patriots are not pleased. The fans, the coaches, the organization, you know, everyone.

With the Patriots in the Super Bowl this year, it is a letdown for Pats Nation to say the least.

Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel commenting on the Kraft "snub"

Here is the complete answer Vrabel gave today:

Q: Robert Kraft has been eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for more than a decade now, and he's still on the outside looking in. Your reaction to that?

MV: I would just say that that's unfortunate. I would say that in my experiences with Robert, he's more than deserving and he'll be in the Hall of Fame. I'm not in charge of deciding when that happens. So, I appreciate the relationship that I've had with him and the success as a player, and now as a coach. So, he's done everything that we've needed and provided the support that we've needed as a staff and as a team. So, I'm glad that he's back here and continuing to help us do things that will help the team win, and ultimately allow him to be recognized.

His comments likely echo those of the Patriots organization and fanbase, too.

Also to consider: We can probably assume Kraft and Belichick, to some extent, split the "Patriots" vote, meaning that given the zero-sum voting in the new process, caused some voters to pick either Kraft or Belichick rather than both. But there was some sentiment (a lot?) that there should be more accountability for the alleged cheating that the club was punished for over the years.

A kind of double jeopardy in a way. Regardless, if the media reports are to be believed, both are out of the running. 

Speaking to some voters, we've found defensiveness for those who voted against, "How many games did Belichick win that was a result of cheating?" To the "We deserve the heat we are getting. The committee made a mistake and we are reaping the wrath."

Robert Kraft (right) at Patriots' 2026 Media Night

Yes, to some, the Hall is burning. And that is my interest in this. The damage to the institution. A coach or owner getting refused is not a huge deal to us, unless it is an icon, and in our view, Belichick is exactly that. 

We simply care about the Hall, it's specialness, it's reputation, the thing that it is. It's not about "your" guys getting it. It's about the best of the best and anything that gets away from that hurts the Hall.

As not what the Hall can do for you but what you can do for the Hall. In this case, avoiding this controversy would have been better. At least in our view.

Does Being First-ballot Hall-of-Famer Matter?

 By John Turney  

Does Being a First-Ballot Hall of Famer Matter?

Short Answer: Yes. But there is nuance.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame keeps its process straightforward: once a player is inducted, the distinction ends there. No official categories divide enshrinees—no tiers, no asterisks for ballot timing, no plaques noting whether someone entered on the first try or after multiple ballots. The bronze bust is the same, the gold jacket fits identically, and the legacy stands on the same Canton pedestal regardless of how many years it took to get the votes. 

But that is not what is meant when the term is used. It's not the Hall itself using it, officially anyway. It's the fans, historians, players, coaches and media doing it.

It becomes a shorthand for overwhelming consensus: the player was so dominant, so undeniable, that the selectors couldn't delay. There's an extra layer of prestige, an unofficial "gold star" that elevates the narrative—think Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Johnny Unitas, Don Shula and on and on.. 

But here is the nuance—So while nothing is official, the Hall itself contributes to this subtly by tracking eligibility years in records, listing first-year finalists in announcements, and highlighting debut successes in brochures, press materials and their website. They don't label it a formal distinction, but by documenting ballot timing and spotlighting those who clear the bar immediately, they feed the lore without endorsing tiers.

Here is more nuance—There can be mistakes in the minds of the same folks who use the term as a distinction.

The Hall caps modern-era slots at five per year (give or take seniors or contributors). That's a hard limit in a sport with decades of accumulated talent. Back in the day, there was a minimum of four and a maximum of seven including seniors, and even earlier, there was a three-man minimum for a Hall class.

So sometimes, clear Hall-of-Famers can get pushed back a ballot or two—not for lack of merit, but because the queue is deep, voters have preferences, positional logjams form, or the "extra cachet" just isn't quite overwhelming enough in a given year. Timing plays a role; voter quirks play a role; ballot crunch plays a role. It doesn't diminish the career.

Look at the history: Joe Schmidt, one of the greatest middle linebackers ever, wasn't first-ballot. Night Train Lane, a shutdown corner without peer in his era, waited. Alan Page, dominant force and MVP, didn't sail in immediately. Fran Tarkenton is another example. It seems the Vikings' players were punished for losing four Super Bowls rather than rewarded for getting there.

On the flip side, Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Warren Moon got the debut call—great quarterbacks with strong cases, but are they demonstrably superior to peers who waited a year or two, who might not have gotten a "quarterback bump" if you catch our drift? The evidence doesn't support that kind of gap. We can think of others who don't seem to meet mythical first-ballot criteria as well.  

This detracts from the "cachet," if you will. 

First-ballot entry is a nice feather—evidence of consensus, a data point showing the player cleared the bar with room to spare—but it's not the dividing line between elite and merely Hall-worthy. Some who sneak in early might not stack up as dominantly as legends who grind through the process. 

So yes, colloquially it matters. Emotionally, narratively—it carries weight. Bragging rights usually do. 

For the recent snub, Bill Belichick, it clearly matters to those who follow the game and to the man himself. Sources close to him told ESPN he was "puzzled" and "disappointed," even asking one associate something like, "Six Super Bowls isn't enough?" 

Justified or not, and reasonable people can disagree, Belichick's legacy will always lack the checked box of "first-ballot," and when he is written about from now on, given word count, that will usually be part of the narrative. 

It's just the way it is.

The Belichick Snub: A Hall of Fame 'Farce' Fueled by 'Pettiness' and a Cry for Reform

 By John Turney 

In the annals of pro football history, few figures cast a shadow as imposing as Bill Belichick. Papa Bear? Curly? Sir Vince? The Don?

Bill B., with eight Super Bowl rings—six as head coach of the New England Patriots and two as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants—Belichick redefined NFL dominance over three decades. His 333 career wins (including playoffs) place him second only to Don Shula, and his innovative schemes, liked unequalled football knowledge—offense, defense, special teams, player development and, well, anything else you can name made him, in the eyes of most, the greatest NFL coach of all time.

Yet, in a democratic decision that has rocked the football world, Belichick was denied first-ballot induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the Class of 2026, falling short of the required 40 votes from a 50-person panel. This snub, reported on January 27, 2026, has ignited a firestorm of outrage, accusations of personal vendettas, and demands for sweeping changes to the Hall's opaque voting process.

Belichick's exclusion is unprecedented for a coach of his caliber. Names like Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Tom Landry and Chuck Noll—sailed into Canton on their first try. Belichick, by contrast, orchestrated the longest sustained dynasty in NFL history, guiding the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances and 17 division titles in 19 seasons from 2001 to 2019. His teams boasted a .652 winning percentage, including a .705 clip in playoffs. But enough of his credentials. Just assume they are the best, if not among the top few of all-time by any fair assessment.

Yesterday, the news broke via ESPN, citing sources close to the process, that Belichick received a call from the Hall on January 23 informing him of the shortfall. Usually, people want the call from the Hall to be good news, as in, "Congratulations."

Reactions poured in immediately, with the NFL community expressing disbelief and fury. Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson, no stranger to rivalry with Belichick, blasted the decision on social media: "How in the hell does Bill Belichick not get in? 6 Super Bowl wins, 3 in 4 years, 3 more over the next decade plus. The standard for coaches should be championships! This is a joke!!!" 

Johnson's outrage echoed across platforms, with ESPN's Dan Graziano calling it "embarrassing" for the league.

On X (formerly Twitter), the backlash was swift and visceral. User @FTFonFS1 captured the sentiment in a video post: "@DannyParkins: 'It’s ridiculous.' @GregJennings: 'What are we doing?' @willcolon66: 'It’s embarrassing for the NFL.'" 

Another poster, @TheVirginiaGen1, decried the pettiness: "Validates my long running disdain for the NFL. This is petty, beta-male drama to do what? Tarnish his eight rings...pygmies." @DSCUSN94 went further, warning that the Hall is "embarks on the road to irrelevance just like @TheAcademy before them, based on some unwritten code/ideology." 

Even non-football icons weighed in; LeBron James tweeted his shock, while Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes called it "insane," underscoring Belichick's impact on the game.

At the heart of the controversy lies the alleged role of Bill Polian, the Hall of Fame general manager inducted in 2015 for his work with the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts. Sources told ESPN that Polian, one of a handful of Hall of Famers on the voting panel, actively lobbied against Belichick, advocating for a "one-year penance" tied to the 2007 Spygate scandal. 

In Spygate, the Patriots were caught filming Jets' signals, resulting in fines and lost draft picks—penalties Belichick and the team served long ago. Polian's purported grudge stems from his time with the Colts, where Belichick's Patriots dominated, including in the infamous Deflategate era. Reports suggest Polian swayed voters by framing Belichick's scandals as integrity issues that warranted a delay.

Polian, however, vehemently denies the accusations. In a phone interview with Sports Illustrated, he stated: "I did not influence the vote against Belichick. I voted for him myself." But later, he was "95% sure" that he did and that he "might" have voted for L.C. Greenwood as well, but could not remember for sure. 

He acknowledged hearing "voters float the idea" of a penance but insisted he didn't push it. Despite his denial, the narrative has fueled fan fury. On The Spun, readers called for Polian's removal from the Hall, with one commenter noting: "Reports claim Bill Polian urged voters to delay Belichick's induction due to past scandals. Polian denies accusations; his alleged involvement has fans demanding he be kicked out." 

This angle highlights deeper rifts: Polian's Colts lost to Belichick's Patriots in pivotal games, including the 2006 AFC Championship, breeding resentment that now appears to spill into Hall deliberations. The snub has amplified calls for reform in the Hall's voting system, long criticized for its secrecy and potential biases. 

The 50-member panel—mostly media members, with a few Hall of Famers like Polian—operates behind closed doors, with no public accountability for individual votes. One voter, speaking anonymously to Bleacher Report, explained the process's flaws: "It's convoluted, and personal feelings creep in." 

Fans and analysts alike are demanding transparency, such as public voting records or a more diverse panel including former players, coaches, and analytics experts to counter media grudges. On Reddit's r/Patriots, users echoed this: "Belichick was rejected by a Hall panel... This is a preposterous farce. Time to diversify the voters." 

ESPN's Dan Wetzel went nuclear: "If Belichick isn't first ballot, just shut the Hall down." The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy labeled it "petty, embarrassing, unprecedented, stupid, and preposterous." Even neutral observers, like Yahoo Sports, noted the ripple effects: "Belichick's snub is bad news for other nominees," as it sets a precedent for punishing perceived flaws over achievements.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. It may further that notion, but the precedent was set with cases like Terrell Owens when he was punished for being a great player but a bad teammate. 

He'll enter eventually, likely in 2027, but damage is done. As Bob Costas once said to us, there is "extra cachet" to being a first-ballot Hall of Famer in any sport. That is lost forever.

As fans rally for "more varied voices" in voting—perhaps including active coaches or fan input—the Pro Football Hall of Fame faces a reckoning. 

Will it evolve, or risk becoming a relic of grudges past? Does the outrage suggest change is due? That remains to be seen but in following this process for decades, this is the biggest reaction we've seen. Perhaps only Owens' snub ranks higher. But next week, at Super Bowl week, when voters tour Radio Row, where stations and podcasts set up to broadcast from the Media Center in Santa Clara, as they always do, there will be some 'splainin' to do.