Biggest Hall of Fame snub for all 32 NFL teams
Dallas Cowboys
Notable Hall of Fame Snub: LB Chuck Howley
He may be most notable for being the only player to be named Super Bowl MVP from the losing team, but Howley was one of the NFL’s most dominant linebackers in the 1960s. A star for the Cowboys from 1961-1973, Howley made six Pro Bowls and was a five-time first-team All-Pro during his prime.
It is simply astonishing that Howley isn’t in the Hall of Fame already. Now a senior candidate, Howley has to fight through a deep pool of snubs to have his case heard, although the Hall’s recent decision to expand its annual pool of senior inductees from two to three could help expedite the process.
Denver Broncos
Notable Hall of Fame Snub: LB Randy Gradishar
The headliner of the Broncos’ famed “Orange Crush” defense, Gradishar hasn’t heard his name called for Canton. A seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Gradishar was also named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1978 and helped anchor a defense that season that allowed just 198 points in 16 games, ranking only behind the Steel Curtain of the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
It is possible that the relatively short length of Gradishar’s career (he only played 10 seasons) hurt him in an era of dominant defensive players. Gradishar’s 2,049 tackles are nothing to sneeze at and he is another player who should have his case examined as a senior candidate in the coming years.