Pittsburgh Steelers: Is James Harrison a Hall of Famer?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have so many reasons to be thankful for James Harrison, but as always the NFL is a cold business with no room for sentimentality.

Harrison, having not played nearly as much as last year, was let go by Pittsburgh with two weeks left in the regular season. It’s an unceremonious end to what has been a brilliant career for the longtime pass rusher. It’s unclear what fate awaits for him. There’s a chance another team may wish to add him as extra help down the home stretch. Others think the Steelers may yet choose to bring him back on a cheaper deal.

Either way it’s starting to feel like the career of Harrison is drawing to a close. At that point the question arises. Is he a Hall of Famer? Knee-jerk reactions would almost universally say absolutely. The guy has done so many great things for a long time. However, it’s for this reason that players must wait five years before becoming eligible. It gives people time to sit back and reflect on a career without getting caught up in recent euphoria.

Harrison career a mix of absolute brilliance and anonymity

When determining a Hall of Fame career, it’s vital to look at the entire picture. First the positives. Harrison is the all-time Steelers sack leader, a Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and has two Super Bowl rings to his name. He also boasts one of the most memorable and impacting highlights in the games’ history with that epic 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Arizona. There is no denying that at his peak, Harrison was the best at what he did.

The problem is that his peak was rather brief. One could argue that it lasted no longer than five seasons from 2007 to 2011 when he made all five of his Pro Bowls. In fact he didn’t even manage to crack the starting lineup until he was 29-years old. Since 2012 he hasn’t had more than six sacks in a season and he got 82.5 for his career. That puts him behind Von Miller who is 10 years younger than him at present.

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This is one of those cases where the voters must ask:  was he dominant enough for a long enough period of time? Others have managed to sway them like Gale Sayers and Terrell Davis, but defensive players typically have a harder time. Harrison can make it, but he might need some luck to help.