Minnesota Vikings: Is Jared Allen Hall of Fame worthy?

Is former Minnesota Vikings star Jared Allen worthy of the Hall of Fame?

A former Minnesota Vikings defensive player is officially among the list of players who are up for consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame announced a total of 25 semifinalists on the list of players in the running to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021. Included in that list is longtime NFL defensive end and former Vikings edge rusher Jared Allen.

Among the list of 25 semifinalists, Allen is one of four first-year eligible players, joining former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson.

The list is understandably jam-packed full of former NFL greats, also including four players who reached the list for the first time although they were previously eligible for the Hall of Fame in recent years. Those four players include cornerback Eric Allen, tackle Willie Anderson, linebacker Cornelius Bennett and safety Rodney Harrison.

Allen makes the list that was reduced from an initial group of 130 nominees, which were announced in September. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the next step in the selection process will be trimmed down to 15 before it will ultimately be finalized at 18 after the inclusion of recommended nominees of the Hall of Fame’s Coach, Contributor and Senior Committees.

The fact that Allen, who retired following the 2015 season, made the semifinal list is impressive enough, but now he has a chance to ultimately reach the Hall of Fame after his lengthy and impressive career.

With Allen reaching that semifinalist grouping, let’s take a look at Allen’s career and if he should indeed get the nod into an exclusive club of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jared Allen is a clear Hall-of-Famer — but is he a first-ballot candidate?

Allen began his 12-year NFL career when he was drafted out of Idaho State by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round (No. 126 overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. The defensive end went on to play four seasons with the Chiefs from 2004-07, appearing a total of 61 games in Kansas City while earning Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors in his final year in 2007.

In 2008, Allen was traded to the Vikings for a handful of draft picks. Minnesota is where Allen really blossomed in his career and spent most of his playing time in the NFL, dawning the purple and gold for six seasons spanning from 2008 to 2013. During his time with the Vikings, Allen played in 96 games and earned four Pro Bowl nods (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012) and having been selected First Team All-Pro three times (2008, 2009, 2011).

Following his stint in Minnesota, Allen played the remainder of his career with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers until he officially retired as a member of the Vikings in 2016.

During his 12 years as a pro, Allen played in a total of 187 games, recording 136 sacks, 648 combined tackles, 171 tackles for loss, 228 quarterback hits, 32 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries, six interceptions, four safeties and two defensive touchdowns.

When it comes to career leaderboards, Allen ranks tied for first all-time in career safeties (four), third in tackles for loss (171), 12th in sacks (136) and 22nd in forced fumbles (32), along with others.

According to Pro Football Reference, Allen’s Hall of Fame probability is currently 67.2, which ranks 21st among defensive ends. The average Hall of Fame defensive end holds a probability of 102.19.

There is no question Allen has put together a Hall of Fame career, now it’s about if others view him as a candidate to be inducted into the Class of 2021 or another year. We will find out if it will indeed happen this year or not in the coming months.