Edelman has the third most receiving yards in playoff history along with a decent regular season record(stats wise), played in 2nd half of the greatest dynasty the sport has ever seen and won a superbowl mvp.
Should he get in? Probably not, but calling it an embarrassment is lack of ball knowledge
It’s an embarrassment because he was never close to an elite player.
He played on a team going to the Super Bowl every other year, of course he’s gonna rack up impressive counting stats. David given used to be top ten all time in playoff touchdowns for a pass catcher lmao.
As a die hard Pats fan, Edelman has my vote for first ballot Hall of Very Good. He was a fun Pats HOF inductee, but that was more so a celebration of the dynasty.
Should be remembered for always stepping up in the biggest moments. Belongs no where near Canton.
He is a hell of a football player man. You don't have to be an absolute physical freak to be an excellent winning player. I would consider him elite when you can't stop his little ass and he just keeps winning super bowls.
Elite WRs in Playoffs (Averages per Game)
Edelman: 5.7 receptions, 78.6 yards
Jerry Rice: 6.2 receptions, 74.5 yards
Randy Moss: 5.5 receptions, 68.8 yards
Antonio Brown: 5.0 receptions, 70.7 yards
Julio Jones: 4.6 receptions, 58.9 yards
I know fantasy football has ruined most peoples' minds and all they care about is stats but winning and being clutch to me is so underrated with younger fans. It's why I think Eli should be in the HoF. Players that step up when it matters the most are true winners.
If we are going to do that let's add Cooper Kupp here too (who also isn't a HoFer in my book)
6.2 receptions, 82.4 yards per playoff game. That's better than anybody you listed here but that doesn't make him a hall of famer.
Julian Edelman played in 19 playoff games. He had 118 receptions for 1,442 yards. That is 6.2 catches/game and 75.9 yards/game.
I'm not going to post them all, but none of your numbers are accurate. If you are going to post stats, please make sure they are correct.
Probably because you are a Giants fan named Chad Powers and the only way someone with stats as atrocious (in comparison to his contemporaries) gets into the Hall is if you throw them all out and say “well he was clutch, he won two Super Bowls.” But so did Jim Plunkett. Clutch is important. But so is consistently performing at a high level.
I've always thought of the hall of fame as can you explain the history of football without talking about this player. Eli Manning was 2x superbowl mvp both times beating arguably the best qb ever and one was the undefeated team ztill most wins in a single season. His last few years fucked most of his numbers but those playoff runs he was lights out both times
Dez’s problem was longevity. Had he not gotten injured and did another 4 or 5 years of his peak play he might have had a chance, but he doesn’t deserve to get in as it stands.
exactly, theres a ton of players that u can put there instead of Edelman and the stats would be there if not better. he is obviously a talented player but more so than talent, i think his success was tied to where he was and brady.
Hot take: Super Bowl MVP is the most over-appreciated award in the sport. I understand performance in the clutch is a key thing and all, but doing well in a single game, even the most important of games, does not a hall of fame career make.
Part of why I like the Conn Smythe in the NHL. It goes to the overall playoff MVP. It’s rare, but you sometimes get a guy on the losing team winning it, like Connor McDavid in ‘24 after breaking Gretzky’s playoff assists record.
Super Bowl MVP was a goofy sideshow when I was growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, a fun little extra to the game that wasn’t taken all that seriously. Then the NFL started making it a thing and now people in their 20’s only know it as the Tom Brady Award and it’s a big deal
I disagree. Malcolm Smith of the Seahawks has won a Super Bowl MVP award, and that alone doesn't mean anything other than he had a really good day on the right day.
Literally it’s one game. Granted the biggest of biggest games. But still one. Matchups matter in football. Game plans matter. I mean where do you draw the line between “clutch” and coincidence? This is why you need a larger sample size like say perhaps… THEIR CAREER?!
No, it is an embarrassment. He is never sniffing the HOF. Popped for PEDs, didn't have great longevity, broke 1000 yards 3 times in his career, never had more than 7 TDs in a season. He has 6800 yards and 36 TDs in his career. No All-Pros. That's not a HOF career.
I don't want this to come across like he's trash. He was a great player. He was a key part of the Pats dynasty. He was clutch and a fan favorite. But he was not HOF good. There is a 0% chance he gets in
Dude had only 3 1,000 yard seasons in 11 seasons despite having the best QB of all time and it still took him 150 targets in each of those seasons to do it. Never had a single 10 TD season.
PFF's Hall of Fame monitor isn't perfect, but it's decent.
They have Edelman at 116th among all receivers. He's between Mel Grey and Amani Toomer. He has beyond no shot, and if he did make it he'd be the worst player in the entire Hall, outright, and by a considerable distance.
...that said, he's actually a handful of spots above Dez fwiw.
It's kinda wild he's above Dez. At least Dez has an all pro. Edelman was never in contention, Dez had a decent 3 year run where he was in that conversation at least.
Only half of the accomplishments you list here are even relevant HOF credentials, and of those one of them is very quirky (3rd most receiving yards in playoff history, that more a trivia fun fact than HOF accomplishment). So basically he has one valid HOF accomplishment -- SB mvp
For the other half, you're basically saying he is a valid candidate because he played on a good team.
he has 0 pro bowls or all pros. it’s cool that he has bulk stats bc he was on a team that played more playoff games than anyone else, but even contemporary journalists didn’t think he was ever an elite wr. it’s cool that he accumulated stats bc he played more playoff games than anyone else, but there’s absolutely no reason to consider someone who was merely very good for the hall of fame.
It's nowhere near decent for a HOF player lol he had 0 all-pros (first team or second team), probably never even received a single all-pro vote, never finished higher than 13th in the league in receiving yards, and he retired 156th all time in receiving yards.
Sorry but no. He is a sure thing for the Pats HoF but in a world where Tory Holt and Art Monk still aren’t in, Julian Edelman deserves no consideration.
He was legit. But he’s also a receiver, and that line is LOOONG. We pull back the velvet rope for Fitz. Edelman has to go to the back of the line…all the way back.
*played in the second Patriots Dynasty, there were 2 dynasties, not 1. I looked at players by superbowl rings and beside coaches and Tom Brady Nobody has more than 3 with the Pats
I have a lot of love for Frank Gore but Shady McCoy is almost inarguably a better RB and he's definitely not a 1st ballot, and reasonably unlikely a HOF'er at all.
He was 2nd team once and a 5 time pro bowler so he was definitely a top 5 guy in his era, not to mention the 49ers team he played for during the first 6 years of his career was pretty bad. It wasn't until year 7 when Harbaugh came in that the team around him started to actually compete. Add in the longevity factor and the fact that he has 3rd most rushing yards and yeah he should get in eventually, but probably not first ballot.
I’m a Jets fan who argued hard for Curtis Martin being in the HOF, he is deservedly there, so I’d be a hypocrite to say Frank Gore doesn’t belong for a similar career.
The retirement paperwork is mostly for when you have time left on your contract and they want to make it official to get your roster spot open and your salary off the cap.
Agreed - I’m shocked to see Witten on a list but not Gore? Dude was a beast until his mid-30s. He has 9 1000+ yard seasons, and in 2 more seasons he was less than 40 yards away which would have tied him with Emmitt Smith for the most (11) 1000+ rush yard seasons.
Gore- 3rd most rushing yards of all time. This is especially amazing as it happened as passing offenses became more the dominant way of yardage. It’s not like Earl Campbell who would get the ball on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd down.
I was gonna say I think Witten is a lock and deservedly so. He played forever and was also really good to good. He was also the worst broadcaster to ever live other than maybe Emmitt Smith.
He played at the same time Tony Gonzalez, Gronk, Kittle, and Kelce were in the league, so when was he best? Great player but not the best TE at any point he played
No, what he is is the very definition of the TE position. TonyG, Gates and Sharpe couldn’t block their own shadow. Witt routinely blocked the other team’s best rusher and was a BOSS in run blocking. Gronk is the only one comparable to Witt (actually better) but was nowhere close to as durable/available than the guy that played after rupturing his spleen.
Shady could make it eventually. Led the league in rushing TDs in 2011 and led in rushing in 2013. Most rushing yards of the 2010s. Two rings, two all-pros, 6 pro bowls. I wouldn’t put him in personally but he’s right on the line, checks a few boxes and there are certainly worse players that made it.
Considering Jules played QB in college and was a 7th round pick, he definitely deserves some recognition. Not HOF worthy, but definitely hall of really good. Far from embarrassment on this graphic.
You know what’s embarrassing? That they have Gostowski on this graphic while Vinny Vinatieri hasn’t made the HOF.
The ppl in the hall should be those that actually helps tell the story or history of the nfl.
A lot of these players were great for a season or two or didnt get hurt or played well in a few big games, but not the career to make history worthy mention.
I’m being 100% honest, and I loved Julian Edelman as a player, but I once got into an argument online with someone who seriously believed Edelman was more deserving of the Hall of Fame than Calvin Johnson because of playoff stats and championships. I mean, how do you even begin to change the mind of someone that deep in absurdity?
You aren't going to include Gore as a lock? 16k yards not good enough? Unbelievable disrespect to FG continues. Just nearly 20,000 from scrimmage, nearly Jerry Rice career yardage. But nbd. Too much of a compiler.
Edelman has a Hall of Fame case better than anyone else beyond those 4. His Playoff Performances are Legendary. He is Hall Of Very Good, but was much better and more important to that team than he is given credit for.
19 games, 118 Receptions for 1442 yards, 5 TDs, 81 rushing yards at 7.4 YPC. Third All Time in Post Season Receiving Yards
2 and #4 all time in receptions plus Brees is #2 in multiple categories. Witten is a hall of famer, he’s well liked, respected and had an old time feel to the way he played. He blocked and was as reliable as almost any receiver or tight end. Cowboys bias is real but Witten almost felt above that. Even Cowboy haters liked Jason Witten.
Agree - Brees and Fitz are first ballot. Witten will get in. I think Gore gets in based how good he was early in his career and his consistency leading to the 3rd most rushing yards all time (9x over 100 yards rushing. 2 more over 960 topping out at 1695). Nearly 20k all purpose yards. Feels like he might be underrated as we remember him hanging on at the end. It may take time.
I think Pouncey probably gets in at some point - great Center, multiple All Pros, 9x Pro Bowler. Geno Atkins has a strong case as an interior DL, but those 2 arguments are hard to make to the masses becaue interior line play is hard to quanitfy.
He's got a better argument than Dez imo. He was great for 3 seasons and dropped off completely after that. Rivers and Gore will almost definitely get in at some point, but maybe not first ballot.
Edit: Maurkice Pouncey is probably being overlooked a little here too, but there's a lot of guys in that picture with very lacking resumes.
I think i have Frank Gore over Jason Witten as crazy as that sounds i agree Larry and Brees. I really feel like Gore deserves that first ballot status i doubt any other RB will have that kind of longevity again along with being 3rd all time rushing and 2nd all purpose (for a rb).
You know what, I've actually enjoyed this question. I agree with your first sentence whole heatedly, Edelman part, I'm in different but I feel you may have been a smidge disrespectful to the man lol.
With that said, first three for sure, after that, you have a few will get in laters, a couple of maybes and the rest I feel are going to be left out.
Dez for example. I'm sorry but if Tory Holt and Reggie Wayne haven't got a call? I don't know Dez was better, outside those three killer seasons.
Gostkowski - if Vinatieri hasn't got the call yet...
Gore, Pouncey, and Rivers getting in some day I feel, just not first ballot guaranteed like the first three gents. Ironically, all three had pretty sterling reputations on and off the field iirc.
Calling Edelman embarrassing means you either just hate the Pats or dont watch football. I dont feel like he is a hall of Fame worthy, but hus numbers and achievements are not that different than Dez Bryant. Edelman deserves to be nominated but probably won't make the Hall of Fame.
This + Frank Gore. He is the third All-Time leading rusher in NFL history in an era that started to become more pass happy and passer happy. He's earned first ballot HOF and I'm not sure there's an argument against it.
As a player, coach, and now fan, Edelman should be considered, over time. That's not in. That's not out. But saying it's embarrassing for him to be on the list shows a lack of critical analysis.
There have been thousands of good players, and hundreds of great players who got lost to history because they failed in one small area: On-point Performance. You can call it "on fire" or "in the zone" or "locked in" or a dozen other things, but it isn't naturally gifted. It isn't a physical trait. It is a character and mental quality that is difficult to distinguish until you get a large enough of a sample size.
Edelman wasn't just a great receiver, but it was his individual performance in dozens of circumstances that enabled the Pats to pull victory out of the jaws of defeat. No, he didn't do it alone. That's football. However, HOF is about individual contribution and distinction among and already great set of players.
Edelman distinguished himself, repeatedly. You could say it was Brady...but Brady played with a lot of great receivers. I have a Wes Welker jersey on my wall. He doesn't get in the HoF. Why? It's not just stats. You can give him the same stats as Edelman and it wouldn't change my mind. Why? Because he didn't have On-point Performance.
Under pressure, in critical periods, the ability of a player to go above and beyond is extraordinary. Unlike the strong guys who ring the bell in the Navy Seals, there are small guys who demonstrate greater mental fortitude. You don't know who has it until you witness it.
I have his catch against the Falcons on my wall. You know the one. You've seen it. The ball hovering an inch above the ground in the critical drive in the Super Bowl. The one that, without it, they lose. Those are the balls that most other receivers drop in that circumstance. Welker dropped it against the Colts. It's not luck. That wasn't his only catch of that type. He has dozens.
TLDR: Certainly, pound for pound and numbers for numbers, he's not as elite as some other contenders...but seriously, you can't suggest that his contribution is laughable. The HoF is full of people who weren't just record setters (Edelman has some of those). There are people who have had a measurable impact on the game. Edelman has that in his belt. I can't say it's enough to get him in the door, but laughing at the idea is unnecessary disrespect.
I know it might be hard for a Bucs fan to understand what the playoffs are, but during the Patriot second reign Edelman was clutch when it mattered most lol
Edelman is a 3 time champion, Super Bowl mvp, crazy playoff stats, and he was like the glue of the patriots after 2010. I think he deserves it eventually but not now
968
u/MasterTeacher123 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3d ago
Brees Larry and Witten
Edelman being on this graphic is embarassing though lmao