Steve Smith Has An NFL Hall of Fame Case

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith (89) runs with the ball prior to the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

At age 36, wide receiver Steve Smith has declared the 2015 season will be his last in the NFL. He plans to retire at the end, whenever that may be, to start the next phase of his life with his family.

Steve Smith announces that he will retire at the end of this NFL season. This season will be his 15th in the league. pic.twitter.com/OS1tmDiSWK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 10, 2015

Now comes the moment in time where analysts and experts must lament. Does the brash and often outspoken receiver have enough of a case to land him in Canton one day as a Hall of Famer? Given the massive array of receivers he’d be facing, it sounds like a tall task, but looking at the background of what he’s accomplished, there is certainly a case to be made.

Stats:

915 receptions
13,262 yards
75 touchdowns
5x Pro Bowler

As with any receiver, it’s important to keep context in mind. Smith spent the majority of his career catching passes from less-than-ideal quarterbacks. Jake Delhomme is first that comes to mind but there was also Rodney Peete, Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen among others. Only after the arrival of Cam Newton was he able to show everybody he was still one of the best in the league back in 2011.

Critics will be quick to jump on the fact that the guy never won a ring, but that is taking the easy route. Looking back, Smith was money in the playoffs. In 11 career January games he compiled 59 catches for 1001 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s an average of 91 yards per game and he was also directly responsible for winning two postseason games in St. Louis in 2003 (a double overtime TD catch) and Chicago in 2005 (218 yards and two TDs).

Numbers. Longevity. Durability. Upped his game in the playoffs. Those are all the required checkmarks a Hall of Fame player needs in the NFL. There may be some out there who never cared for his boisterous style, but Canton is not a place for choir boys. It’s a place for great football players.

For his time, Steve Smith was one of the best.

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