Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is one of several new players eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, sparking a debate about whether his career warrants him receiving a gold jacket. So I’ll ask the question once more. Does Charles belong in Canton? Has he accomplished enough on the gridiron the earn the right to be enshrined in one of the most prestigious places in sports?
Charles entered the NFL in 2008 as a third-round draft choice by the Kansas City Chiefs during the tail end of the Carl Peterson/Herman Edwards regime. Following a falling out with veteran Larry Johnson and repetitive injuries to Kolby Smith, Charles got his opportunity in 2009 under rookie head coach Todd Haley. He sprinted his way to becoming Kansas City’s starting running back and was the lone bright spot on an offense that struggled mightily for much of the early portion of his career before the Andy Reid era that began in 2013.
From 2008-2016, Charles rushed for 7,260 yards, and 43 touchdowns on 1,332 carries to become Kansas City’s all-time leading rusher. He also finished as a prolific receiver out of the backfield with 285 receptions for 2,457 yards and 20 scores.
Charles was electric every time he had the ball in his hands, and sheer quickness and agility made him super dangerous because he could break into the open field at any time. There’s no doubt that the track star from Texas possessed hall-of-fame-worthy talent. Unfortunately, he did not have a hall-of-fame career for two glaring reasons.
The first thing that stands out is Charles’ lack of postseason success. The four-time Pro Bowler appeared in just two playoff games but finished one of them. In 2010, the Chiefs hosted the Baltimore Ravens in a wildcard matchup. Charles broke a long 41-yard run for a touchdown late in the first quarter to give Kansas City a 7-3 lead. That would be the only points the Chiefs would score all day as the Ravens eventually crushed them 30-7. Three seasons later, the Chiefs visited Indianapolis in the wildcard round. Charles played exactly five snaps, carrying the ball three times for 18 yards before exiting the game with a concussion and did not return. Kansas City would blow up the Colts in the first half, running out to a 31-10 lead. Only to let Indy return from the dead to inevitably lose, 45-44.
The second is how he struggled with the injury bug. Charles was healthy for six of the nine seasons he played in Kansas City. He missed the entire 2011 season after tearing his ACL in a Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions. He suffered the same injury a few seasons later, five games into the 2015 campaign at home against the Chicago Bears, and spent most of the 2016 season on injured reserve due to more issues with his knees.
Overall, Charles will forever remain a legendary member of the Chiefs’ history and definitely deserves to have his name put in the team’s Hall of Honor. But if I’m being honest, I don’t think a gold jacket and bronze bust is in his future.
