Jamaal Charles recently said in an interview with TMZ that he believes he is a future Hall of Famer, and I completely agree. Charles definitely had all-time great talent and production, but more than that, I believe there is one thing that should propel Charles to HOF status: his efficiency.
Charles isn’t the only one who believes he should make the Hall of Fame. In 2017, Chiefs Wire’s Wesley Roesch wrote a similar ode to Charles’ potential HOF credentials. It came after Andy Reid said he thought Charles was a future Hall of Famer.
“I appreciate the way [Charles] came to work every day, he gave us everything he had day-in and day-out. I’ve said it before; I think he’s a future Hall of Famer.”
Reid might have a slight bias because he used to coach the former Chief, but Charles definitely has a case to make the Hall of Fame. In his 10 years in the NFL, Charles has four Pro Bowls, two First-Team All Pro selections, and a season where he led the NFL in total touchdowns and rushing TDs (2013). Far and away his strongest argument for a gold jacket, would be that Charles is the all-time leader in yards per carry. Of players with at least 1,000 carries, Jamaal Charles leads them all with 5.4 yards per carry. But big deal right? What’s so great about leading in yards per carry? Let me explain.
First, you have to understand that the record Charles is set to usurp, is no ordinary record. The former yards per carry champion was Hall of Famer Jim Brown with 5.2 yards per carry, and Brown has not taken a snap in the NFL since 1965. Any record held by Brown is a big deal, and this one in particular seemed like one that would not be broken in the modern era, as the only other NFL back to come close after Brown was Barry Sanders who stopped playing in 1998 with 4.9 yards per carry. Charles surpassed Brown’s seemingly unbeatable average.
There’s a great chance that Charles’ record will stand the test of time too, as it took 50 years for someone to break Brown’s record, and the active players right below Charles are Adrian Peterson and Ezekiel Elliott both with 4.7 yards per carry.
Charles’ record is also substantial because of the rare list it puts him on. The top 5 NFL players in career yards per carry (min. 1000 carries) are Charles, Brown, Joe Perry, Sanders, and Lenny Moore. Every player in the top 5 other than Charles made their way into the Hall of Fame, and it’s no coincidence that all of these legends made the most of every carry they were given.
Charles’ biggest hurdle to the HOF will be his inability to stay on the field. Every player in the top 5 of the yards per carry list have at least 100 games started, Charles only has 69. While that hurts his chances from a longevity standpoint, it does speak volumes about his talent that he was able to do so much in so little time. Charles has the most rushing yards (and obviously yards per carry) of any player with under 70 games started.
Charles has legendary efficiency, and arguably is the most efficient back of all-time. Charles won’t necessarily be a first ballot Hall of Famer, but his impact on the record books is certainly Hall of Fame-worthy.
