Behind the Steel Curtain
T.J. Watt and who else?
All the talk surrounding the T.J. Watt contract situation has led to discussions about just how good he is right now. But everyone agrees Watt has been nothing short of elite up to this point — a near-lock for the Hall of Fame.
That got me thinking...
Obviously, Watt is the first name that comes to mind. Over 100 career sacks. Tied the record for the most sacks in a regular season. Multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods, and 2021’s Defensive Player of the Year. He’s been one of the best or the best at his position for well over half a decade.
Right now, the debate is if Watt will be first ballot or not — he’s almost certainly getting into Canton.
But outside of No. 90, there aren't any surefire Hall of Famers.
Cam Heyward has 88.5 career sacks, seven Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pros, and he was named Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2023, which certainly doesn’t hurt things. Heyward has been elite for some time, and his first-team All-Pro season at age 35 (post-injury!) might’ve been enough to set his legacy apart from the rest at his position. He flew under the radar for much of the start of his career, but that isn’t the case anymore.
At this point, I lean towards Heyward making the Hall of Fame after he retires, and another great season or two will only strengthen his chances. At the end of the day, it’s hard to name many defensive tackles who have been as dominant as Heyward over the last decade. He probably won’t be first ballot, but I would not be shocked if he ends up in a gold jacket eventually.
Chris Boswell, currently the fourth-most accurate kicker in NFL history, feels like he has a chance if he continues to perform at his current level. But even then, the odds aren’t great with only four kickers currently enshrined in Canton.
Boswell is still outside of the top 50 all-time point scorers in league history, and he doesn’t have any Super Bowl wins to his name. Still, he has yet to miss a playoff field goal (17/17) which feels like a signature stat. Boswell has always played under the shadow of Justin Tucker until recently, which is also worth noting.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick racked up 17 interceptions and three first-team All-Pros in his incredible stretch of play from 2019-2022, but he’s slowed down since with just once interception over the last two seasons. He still has 20 over his seven-year career up to this point to go along with five Pro Bowls.
If Fitzpatrick can get back to his former levels of splash plays and All-Pros nods, he has a chance to get back on a Hall of Fame track. But there are a lot of good defensive backs out there, and Fitzpatrick’s momentum has dropped off considerably.
An...
