Commentary: NFL players, coaches set sights on Hall of Famers’ records
NFL
Published on : 9/4/2025
By Andy Phillips
Special to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The world’s greatest athletes, especially players in the National Football League, share a common thread: They consistently set goals.
Sure, they sometimes give run-of-the-mill-answers to the media during training camp when asked about goals.
“Improve every day.”
“Win our division.”
Or my favorite, “Get to the Super Bowl.”
Sportswriter and TV personality Chris Broussard has turned the phrase “Super Bowl or Bust” into an acronym (S.B.O.B.) and commonly used noun (S-BOB) on FS1’s “First Things First.”
Players create lists of personal goals they keep close to the vest. Whether it is a league award, a statistical achievement or even a snap-count percentage goal, these are the tidbits that help drive the players during the daily grind, in turn helping them give their team a better chance at success, too.
More on the macro level are career goals, which are much larger and take years of training, work, snaps and success to achieve. Let’s dive into some of the career accomplishments that could be reached this season and discuss the company these men could join or surpass along the way.
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry’s 106 career rushing touchdowns already are tied with JIM BROWN for sixth on the NFL’s all-time list. If Henry repeats last season’s performance of 16, he will surpass Brown, WALTER PAYTON and Adrian Peterson to put himself in fourth place on the list with 122. The top three are EMMITT SMITH (164), LaDAINIAN TOMLINSON (145) and MARCUS ALLEN (123).
Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner is still playing at an All-Pro level, which means no goal seems out of reach for him. Since 1987, the NFL’s combined tackles leader is RAY LEWIS with 2,059 for his career. London Fletcher and JUNIOR SEAU currently stand on the podium with Lewis. Sitting in the four-hole is Wagner, who would tie each with the following season: nine tackles ties Seau, 201 ties Fletcher and 221 ties Lewis.
Two members of the 2014 NFL Draft class, Mike Evans (105) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Davante Adams (103) of the Los Angeles Rams, currently sit at Nos. 9 and 10 on the all-time receiving touchdowns list. The two names above them who they will be trying to catch this year are a pair of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight ends: TONY GONZALEZ (111) and ANTONIO GATES (116).
A 2007 Green Bay quarterback room reunion is on the horizon as new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has his old teammate’s career passing touchdown number in his crosshairs. Rodgers sits fifth all-time with 503, only five away from tying BRETT FAVRE'S 508.
Tackles for loss became an official statistic in 1999, and Hall of Famers JULIUS PEPPERS, JARED ALLEN and DeMARCUS WARE all rank in the top six. The man sitting at No. 3? Calais Campbell, who returns to Arizona this season only 15 TFLs shy of the record held by Terrell Suggs (202). Campbell has achieved 15-plus TFLs three times during his career and totaled 12 a season ago with the Miami Dolphins.
Fun Fact: The quarterback with the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, passes completed, passes attempted and fourth-quarter comebacks without making a single Pro Bowl is … Mr. Joseph Vincent Flacco. Will that continue this season for the Cleveland Browns’ signal-caller?
The list of offensive tackles with 11 Pro Bowl selections for their career includes JONATHAN OGDEN and Trent Williams. That’s it. One more Pro Bowl selection and Williams would hold the belt alone.
Time to talk about the headhunters who have the opportunity to achieve sack excellence this season. Commanders standout Von Miller sits at No. 16 on the official (since 1982) NFL sack chart with 129.5. Twelve of the players above him reside in Canton. Longtime New Orleans Saints edge Cameron Jordan is only seven sacks behind Miller. Looking to become the 46th member of the 100-Sack Club is Houston Texans edge Danielle Hunter, who has registered 99.5 entering the season.
Last but not least, let’s discuss head coaches.
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid sits fourth on the career wins list with 273 regular-season victories, trailing only Bill Belichick (302), GEORGE HALAS (318) and DON SHULA (328). While impossible to pass any of them this season, every step matters on the hike. The Steelers’ Mike Tomlin (183), who has never posted a losing season, sits 10 wins behind CHUCK NOLL (193) for the most victories in franchise history.
Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is only two wins shy of tying his mentor, BILL PARCELLS, and his 172 wins. John Harbaugh (172) of the Ravens and Pete Carroll (170), now with the Raiders, also enter the season with the chance to crack the top 10 list for coaching wins with two more solid seasons. Finally, Buffalo coach Sean McDermott could become the 45th coach to win 100 regular-season NFL games, but it will take a 14-win season from the Bills.
When you see the company these men could be joining, the depth of their accomplishments becomes more evident. All the goals they have set, trained for and achieved year after year have put them in position to attain career numbers worthy of Hall of Fame conversations.
Special to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The world’s greatest athletes, especially players in the National Football League, share a common thread: They consistently set goals.
Sure, they sometimes give run-of-the-mill-answers to the media during training camp when asked about goals.
“Improve every day.”
“Win our division.”
Or my favorite, “Get to the Super Bowl.”
Sportswriter and TV personality Chris Broussard has turned the phrase “Super Bowl or Bust” into an acronym (S.B.O.B.) and commonly used noun (S-BOB) on FS1’s “First Things First.”
Players create lists of personal goals they keep close to the vest. Whether it is a league award, a statistical achievement or even a snap-count percentage goal, these are the tidbits that help drive the players during the daily grind, in turn helping them give their team a better chance at success, too.
More on the macro level are career goals, which are much larger and take years of training, work, snaps and success to achieve. Let’s dive into some of the career accomplishments that could be reached this season and discuss the company these men could join or surpass along the way.
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry’s 106 career rushing touchdowns already are tied with JIM BROWN for sixth on the NFL’s all-time list. If Henry repeats last season’s performance of 16, he will surpass Brown, WALTER PAYTON and Adrian Peterson to put himself in fourth place on the list with 122. The top three are EMMITT SMITH (164), LaDAINIAN TOMLINSON (145) and MARCUS ALLEN (123).
Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner is still playing at an All-Pro level, which means no goal seems out of reach for him. Since 1987, the NFL’s combined tackles leader is RAY LEWIS with 2,059 for his career. London Fletcher and JUNIOR SEAU currently stand on the podium with Lewis. Sitting in the four-hole is Wagner, who would tie each with the following season: nine tackles ties Seau, 201 ties Fletcher and 221 ties Lewis.
Two members of the 2014 NFL Draft class, Mike Evans (105) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Davante Adams (103) of the Los Angeles Rams, currently sit at Nos. 9 and 10 on the all-time receiving touchdowns list. The two names above them who they will be trying to catch this year are a pair of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight ends: TONY GONZALEZ (111) and ANTONIO GATES (116).
A 2007 Green Bay quarterback room reunion is on the horizon as new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has his old teammate’s career passing touchdown number in his crosshairs. Rodgers sits fifth all-time with 503, only five away from tying BRETT FAVRE'S 508.
Tackles for loss became an official statistic in 1999, and Hall of Famers JULIUS PEPPERS, JARED ALLEN and DeMARCUS WARE all rank in the top six. The man sitting at No. 3? Calais Campbell, who returns to Arizona this season only 15 TFLs shy of the record held by Terrell Suggs (202). Campbell has achieved 15-plus TFLs three times during his career and totaled 12 a season ago with the Miami Dolphins.
Fun Fact: The quarterback with the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, passes completed, passes attempted and fourth-quarter comebacks without making a single Pro Bowl is … Mr. Joseph Vincent Flacco. Will that continue this season for the Cleveland Browns’ signal-caller?
The list of offensive tackles with 11 Pro Bowl selections for their career includes JONATHAN OGDEN and Trent Williams. That’s it. One more Pro Bowl selection and Williams would hold the belt alone.
Time to talk about the headhunters who have the opportunity to achieve sack excellence this season. Commanders standout Von Miller sits at No. 16 on the official (since 1982) NFL sack chart with 129.5. Twelve of the players above him reside in Canton. Longtime New Orleans Saints edge Cameron Jordan is only seven sacks behind Miller. Looking to become the 46th member of the 100-Sack Club is Houston Texans edge Danielle Hunter, who has registered 99.5 entering the season.
Last but not least, let’s discuss head coaches.
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid sits fourth on the career wins list with 273 regular-season victories, trailing only Bill Belichick (302), GEORGE HALAS (318) and DON SHULA (328). While impossible to pass any of them this season, every step matters on the hike. The Steelers’ Mike Tomlin (183), who has never posted a losing season, sits 10 wins behind CHUCK NOLL (193) for the most victories in franchise history.
Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is only two wins shy of tying his mentor, BILL PARCELLS, and his 172 wins. John Harbaugh (172) of the Ravens and Pete Carroll (170), now with the Raiders, also enter the season with the chance to crack the top 10 list for coaching wins with two more solid seasons. Finally, Buffalo coach Sean McDermott could become the 45th coach to win 100 regular-season NFL games, but it will take a 14-win season from the Bills.
When you see the company these men could be joining, the depth of their accomplishments becomes more evident. All the goals they have set, trained for and achieved year after year have put them in position to attain career numbers worthy of Hall of Fame conversations.