Jared Allen officially joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, adding a wealth of pass rushing dominance to the NFL’s ultimate court of legends. The longtime defensive end spent 12 seasons at the pro level, half of them spent with the Minnesota Vikings, and still ranks among football’s most accomplished sack artists, despite retiring almost a decade ago.
Allen, 43, burst onto the NFL scene as something of a colorful character: He had a reputation as a troublemaker coming out of Idaho State, and he chased down quarterbacks sporting a mullet, which he once described as a “lifestyle” more than a haircut.
By the end of his career, however, he was hailed as both a beloved locker-room leader and one of the fiercest edge rushers to ever do it. A five-time Pro Bowler and later inductee to the Vikings Ring of Honor, he’s now cemented among the most elite NFL icons.
Historically hot start
A third-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004, Allen wasted no time establishing himself as a Pro Bowl talent, logging nine and 11 sacks in his first two seasons, respectively. Then came the true breakout: He led the NFL with 15.5 quarterback takedowns in 2007, his fourth season, earning the first of four career All-Pro nods.
Vikings stardom
Allen was traded to Minnesota before the 2008 campaign, acquired in a blockbuster swap that included a first-round pick and a new contract from the Vikings that made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. He proceeded to meet lofty expectations as the face of Minnesota’s defense, producing six straight double-digit sack seasons. The best of them all: a 2011 campaign that saw him lead the NFL with 22 sacks, a franchise record and just a half-sack shy of the NFL’s all-time single-season record.
Allen never won a championship, but he came close: At age 33, in his final NFL season, the fan favorite started 12 games for the Carolina Panthers, who advanced all the way to Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos. Not long after the title game, which Carolina lost 24-10, Allen literally rode off into the sunset, mounting his horse in a video announcing his retirement.
All-time defensive ranks
Allen still ranks among the NFL’s best pass rushers of all time.
Here are some of his most prolific numbers, courtesy of Pro Football Reference:
- T-1st among all-time safeties leaders (4)
- 6th among all-time tackles for loss leaders (171)
- 12th among all-time sack leaders (136)
- 24th among all-time forced fumble leaders (32)
Career timeline
- 2004: Drafted by Kansas City Chiefs (third round)
- 2007: Leads NFL in sacks (15.5)
- 2008: Acquired by Minnesota Vikings
- 2011: Leads NFL in sacks (22)
- 2014: Signed by Chicago Bears
- 2015: Appears in Super Bowl 50 with Carolina Panthers
- 2016: Retires after 12 seasons
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