10 Best NFL Players Not in the Hall of Fame

Ken Anderson, Quarterback

The Cincinnati Bengals’ lack of a championship legacy – just two Super Bowl berths and no rings in 50 years – is perhaps what has dimmed the enshrinement appeal of quarterback Ken Anderson, a career Bengal and deserving Hall of Famer.

Consider this: Anderson played for 16 years in the NFL, from 1971 to 1986, accruing the 14th-most AV among quarterbacks in NFL history (23rd-most per-season among those to play at least 10 years). Among the 56 quarterbacks to attempt at least 4,000 passes in their careers, Anderson’s 7.34 yards per attempt are the 17th-most, and his Adjusted Yards per Attempt is higher than Hall of Famers Brett Favre, Warren Moon, and John Elway (among others).

The case against him is apparent, though: despite the efficient passing yards, Anderson ranks in the bottom-half of this sample in touchdown rate, interception rate, and completion rate. Still, he's just one of 13 of these quarterbacks to play no later than the 1990’s, and the game has completely changed since that time.

Anderson’s era-adjusted value proves that he deserves to be revered for his contribution to the game.