Former Chiefs star Allen voted to Pro Football Hall of Fame. But no awards for KC (again)
Jared Allen, whose NFL path started with the Kansas City Chiefs, has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A pass rushing specialist, Allen went on to play six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and finish his career with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. He racked up 136 career sacks, leading the NFL twice in that department.
Carl Peterson was the Chiefs’ president and general manager when the franchise selected Allen in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Allen’s best season with the Chiefs was his last: 2007, when he topped the league with 15 1/2 sacks and earned first-team All-Pro honors.
He’s the first Chiefs-drafted player elected to the Hall of Fame since tight end Tony Gonzalez, who joined Kansas City in 1997 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.
“My family and I are thrilled that Jared Allen has become the 20th player in Chiefs history inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “From the time the Chiefs drafted Jared in 2004, we knew he was a special man with special talent.
“While wearing a Chiefs uniform, Jared was named to the NFL All-rookie Team, he reached the first of his five Pro Bowls, he was named first-team All- Pro, and he led the league in sacks for the first time. He left an indelible mark on Chiefs history, and the entire organization is excited to celebrate his induction in Canton later this year.”
Allen was joined in this year’s Hall of Fame class by tight end Antonio Gates, wide receiver Sterling Sharpe and defensive back Eric Allen.
Among those considered and not elected was Chiefs offensive lineman Jim Tyrer, a six-time All-Pro from 1961-74.
The Hall of Fame’s class of 2025 was unveiled during Thursday evening’s NFL Honors program, when the league’s top individual awards were announced.
No Chiefs were among this year’s award-winners, although head coach Andy Reid finished third in the Coach of the Year voting and received four first-place votes. The Minnesota Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell won the award.
Chiefs offensive lineman Joe Thuney finished 10th in the running for the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award, a category in which Patrick Mahomes also received votes. Defensive tackle Chris Jones tied for 17th in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, and Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie also got votes in that category.
Mahomes finished sixth in this season’s NFL MVP voting. Quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills won the award in a close vote over Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. Allen received 27 first-place votes, Jackson 23.
Tight end Travis Kelce was the Chiefs’ representative for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which went to Arik Armstead of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Each NFL team had a nominee for the award.
The Chiefs historically have come up short in the major awards presented by AP. They’ve never had a coach or defensive player of the year. Mahomes was MVP in 2018 and 2022 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2018.
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 10:16 PM.