Former Vikings defensive end Jared Allen is eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.
What are the chances Allen gets in on his first try? Pretty likely. Among the 25 finalists, Allen ranks fifth on Adam Rank’s Hall of Fame list over at NFL.com.
Here’s what Rank wrote about Allen:
I know a lot of you kids might not have seen Allen play. You might best recognize him from that meme-able moment when Dan Orlovsky ran out of his own end zone; Allen was the defensive player pointing and laughing. But Allen was one of the best defensive ends of his era. He was a four-time first-team All-Pro. He led the NFL in sacks twice. And he’s tied for the NFL record with four safeties. I know there are going to be voters who don’t want to put him in on the first ballot. But he belongs in the Hall of Fame. He’s a first-ballot guy in my eyes. One of the best to ever do it.
During his career, Allen had 136 career sacks, a mark that ranks 12th all-time. During his six seasons with the Vikings, Allen had 85.5 sacks in 96 games.
The Class of 2021 will be re vealed during NFL Honors on Saturday, Feb. 6.
