Arizona Cardinals fans know what sort of player outside linebacker is. They also know he doesn’t get nearly enough respect nationally as arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL.
Pro Football Focus recognizes him but doesn’t give him enough credit. They named him to the top 101 players of the last decade. He comes in at No. 80.
Chandler Jones has been able to sack the quarterback like few other players in NFL history. He trails only Von Miller in official NFL sacks, and only four players took down the quarterback more times (half sacks are the discrepancy) over the course of the decade. He has always had a knack for decisive pass-rushing wins, whether it was in New England or in Arizona, but when you quantify every pass-rushing snap, there are other players who begin to leap over Jones in terms of how often they win. That ability to finish plays consistently is what propels him onto this list, though.
PFF tracks sacks a little differently. Even half sacks are whole sacks for them. No player has more sacks than Jones since he entered the league. Only Reggie White has had more consecutive seasons with at least 13 sacks.
He is a two-time first-team All-Pro and is coming off a career-high 19 sacks in 2019, which broke his own franchise record with the Cardinals.
While being on this list means something, nine other edge defenders are ranked higher. That shouldn’t be, especially considering he has been in the league since 2012.
So it is an honor but it isn’t enough. If he can keep up his pace for a few more seasons, he will be a Hall of Famer.
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Ep. 267
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