The former Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen was one of the top TEs in the NFL for many years and he was quietly a big reason why Cam Newton won MVP in 2015 and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl. Olsen was a stud with the Chicago Bears when he was drafted by them in 2007, but he did ascend into a consistent, elite TE when he transitioned to the Panthers in 2011.

The world knows Olsen was a wonderful, unique player, and he was also one of the three finalists for Walter Payton Man of The Year in 2018. Although, there is a question that many Panthers fans, fantasy owners of Olsen, and NFL fans ask: will Olsen make it into the Hall of Fame? Well, here is how Olsen compares to a current Hall of Fame TE, a likely future first-ballot HOF TE, and a TE that will make the NFL Hall of Fame in the distant future.

*stats are according to Pro Football Reference

Here is a look at Olsen’s career

• 8,683 career receving yards
• 60 career receving touchdowns
• Three-time Pro Bowl selection
• zero Super Bowl wins
• zero All-Pro teams

Jason Witten

• 11 time Pro Bowl selection
• 130,046 career receving yards
• Two-time All-Pro selection
• 74 career receving touchdowns

Tony Gonzalez

• 15,127 career receving yards
• 111 career receving touchdowns
• Six-Time All-Pro selection
• 14-time Pro Bowl selection

Travis Kelce

• 9,006 career receving yards
• 57 career receving touchdowns
• Three-time All-Pro
• Super Bowl champion

It’s clearly difficult and rare for a TE to make it into the Hall of Fame. Gonzalez was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he really cemented himself as a Top 3 TE of all time in his journey with KC and ATL. The world knows that Robert Gronkowski, who has a plethora of championship rings and records, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I believe that Kelce is an interesting case and Olsen stands a slightly better chance to be compared to him than Gronk.

Kelce doesn’t blow Olsen away in total production, as he actually has fewer career-receiving touchdowns. Although, Kelce still has a few years left in his career, to say the least. Kelce also has the record for the most 1,000 yard seasons in a row (six) and he looks to keep climbing the ladder. Furthermore, Kelce has a Super Bowl ring. I do believe that Kelce will have to have another All-Pro season or Super Bowl ring to be a first-ballot HOF, but he certainly is already a future Hall of Famer and he likely will be a first-ballot HOF when he hangs up his cleats. It’s clear why Gonzalez is in the HOF and why Kelce will be a soon-to-be Hall of Famer.

Witten and Olsen are retired and they will not be first-ballot Hall of Famers. Yet, Witten is absolutely a lock to make it into Canton at some point. With that said, does that provide hope for Olsen? Unfortunately, I don’t foresee Olsen making it into Canton. Witten has several more Pro Bowl honors and significantly more career-receiving yards in his career. Nonetheless, it will still take a while for Witten to make it into the Hall of Fame. Olsen was a true pillar of dominance and consistency, but he wasn’t a consistently Top 3 TE, he doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring, and his career marks in yards and touchdowns aren’t cream of the crop in the TE category. Olsen was a gift from the football gods, but he won’t be enshrined in gold.

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By: Tayyib Abu

It seems as if Jimmy Graham’s NFL career is in its final stages. The big tight end is now 34-years-old and his best days are firmly behind him. In the modern era of tight ends, Graham flies under the radar.

In a world with Gronkowski, Gates, Kelce, Kittle and others, Graham often gets forgotten by members of the NFL cognoscenti. The names above are almost certainly heading to the Hall of Fame; it is time to examine Jimmy Graham’s Hall of Fame credentials.

The Case for Graham in the Hall of Fame

Only nine tight ends feature in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; it is challenging to get in. Given that Graham is still playing and many Hall of Fame ballot worthy tight ends ahead of him, he could face a long wait to get a gold jacket. Nevertheless, it is worth examining his career to see what could happen.

The most recent tight end inducted into the HOF was Tony Gonzalez. The former Chiefs and Falcons player’s resume had four seasons where he breached the 1000 yard receiving mark. Graham has two seasons in his career where he broke the 1000 yard barrier.

To be fair to Graham, he is a slightly different tight end. While the tight end was in New Orleans, Graham became one of Drew Brees’ favourite red-zone targets. Graham holds multiple double-digit touchdown seasons, in fact, he has more than Gonzalez.

Furthermore, Graham’s career yards per reception figure of 11.9 is higher than Gonzalez’s 11.4. Add those numbers to the style of Graham; he plays like a hybrid style NBA power forward. Graham is another receiver; labeling him as just a tight end is unfair. On those numbers, there is a solid case for Jimmy Graham getting in the Hall of Fame.

The Case Against Graham in the Hall of Fame

Compared to Gonzalez’s career, Graham’s features a massive level of inconsistency. In 2015, Graham notched only two touchdowns in an 11 game season. Ignoring his first two years in the NFL, Gonzalez then posted a two-touchdown season once. Again, after his first two seasons, Gonalez went 11 seasons in a row where he totaled over 600 yards receiving.

Graham has three seasons under 600, while in another season, he got to 605. The alarming inconsistencies blight Graham’s career. Another stat not in favor of Graham is the catch percentage. His career number is 64.4%. Gonzalez’s is 65.9%. At times, Graham has been a serial dropper; it is another thing that will count against him in the Hall of Fame debate.

The Bottom Line

With the queue of tight ends ahead of him and the erratic nature of his career, Jimmy Graham is not a Hall of Famer right now. His career features some high spots and some low moments. There is no doubt that Graham has Hall of Fame talent; sadly, he hasn’t fully fulfilled his potential. Graham may get in one day due to a long career on a second or third ballot; however, he is not bound for Canton just yet.

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