Fansided

Biggest Hall of Fame snub for all 32 NFL teams

By Mike Phillips

PASADENA, CA- JANUARY 9: Jim Marshall #70 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the bench against the Oakland Raiders during Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Raiders won the Super Bowl 32 -14. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA- JANUARY 9: Jim Marshall #70 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the bench against the Oakland Raiders during Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Raiders won the Super Bowl 32 -14. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 6: Quarterback Ken Anderson #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals passes during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Riverfront Stadium on December 6, 1981, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 49ers defeated the Bengals 21-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 6: Quarterback Ken Anderson #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals passes during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Riverfront Stadium on December 6, 1981, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 49ers defeated the Bengals 21-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

Cincinnati Bengals

Notable Hall of Fame Snub: QB Ken Anderson

The bar is high for quarterbacks to reach the Hall of Fame with the standard usually featuring either elite statistical performance or multiple championships as barriers to entry. Those metrics may have worked against Anderson, who was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL during his 16-year career as a member of the Bengals, even winning the NFL’s MVP award in 1981.

Unfortunately for Anderson, the Bengals couldn’t close out Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI, denying him a ring that may have pushed him over the top for Hall of Fame consideration. As it is, Anderson’s most favorable comparison is with current Hall of Famer Dan Fouts, who put up comparable statistics with San Diego but also didn’t win a ring in his career.

Cleveland Browns

Notable Hall of Fame Snub: LB Clay Matthews Jr.

The son of an NFL offensive tackle, Matthews made his mark on defense, becoming a star as a ball-hawking linebacker for the Browns. Matthews was a four-time Pro Bowler for Cleveland and racked up 1,595 tackles along with 69.5 sacks over the course of his 19-year NFL career.

That tackle total is the seventh most in the history of the NFL with three of the six players ahead of Matthews currently in the Hall of Fame and two more having legitimate cases to get in over the next few years. It is possible that Cleveland’s failure to get to a Super Bowl in the late 1980s is weighing against Matthews, who never got to showcase his talents on the biggest stage in all of sports.

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