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The NFL Hall of Fame can be fickle at times, and even some MVPs have had their troubles getting a gold jacket. The game of football is not for the faint of heart, and the men that have played the game did so with all of their hearts while putting their bodies through mass amounts of physical torture for a game they loved.
Still, the Hall of Fame seems to be out of their grasp. Here's a look at five NFL MVPs that never made it into the Hall of Fame after retirement.
Which NFL MVP deserves to be in the Hall of Fame the most?
#5 - Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander is arguably one of the most famous Seattle Seahawks to ever play in the NFL. He currently sits in second place all-time in rushing touchdowns in a single season.
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His record was set in the 2005 season with 27. It stood until Ladanian Tomlinson broke that record in 2006 with 28.
Shaun Alexander achieved MVP honors that same season with 27 rushing touchdowns, 1,880 yards, and a massive 5.1 yards per carry. Still, Alexander has failed to make the Hall of Fame likely due to his final three seasons in the NFL.
Alexander's legs began to fail him and he failed to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of them. Regardless of those years, Alexander still holds over 100 rushing touchdowns in his career and is one of the only players to achieve that success without being in the Hall of Fame.
#4 - Steve McNair
Steve McNair, aka Air McNair, was co-MVP with Peyton Manning during the 2003 season. McNair led the league in yards per attempt (8.0), yards per completion (12.0), and quarterback rating (100.4).
He threw for 3,215 yards with 24 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. He also rushed for 4 touchdowns. This was an era in which the league was predominantly a run-based scheme, so McNair's passing numbers were amazing for the time.
Still, he has never made it past the semifinalist round of Hall of Fame voting.
3 other NFL MVPs that never made it into the Hall of Fame
Which NFL MVP is most deserving?
#3 - Rich Gannon
Even though Rich Gannon had quite an NFL MVP season for the Las Vegas Raiders, he has yet to make it into the Hall of Fame. Gannon's MVP season saw the quarterback log an astounding 4,689 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a passer rating of (97.3).
These numbers were achieved in 2002, and Gannon was 37 years old at the time in which he nabbed MVP honors. But Gannon has been a backup quarterback for most of his career, and the league hasn't exactly wanted to usher him into the Hall of Fame ranks.
Despite achieving four Pro Bowl selections since turning 32 years old, and finishing with 28,743 passing yards and 180 TDs in 17 seasons, Gannon is still on the outside looking in of the Hall of Fame.
#2 - Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason's MVP season was in 1988. It was the best season of his career, as he led the league in yards per attempt (9.2), fourth-quarter comebacks (3), and a passer rating (97.4).
He also threw for 3,572 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Esiason helped the Cincinnati Bengals achieve a 12-4 record and a trip to the Super Bowl. That was the last time Esiason got his team to the playoffs and a big reason why he hasn't made it into the Hall of Fame.
His 80-93 overall record and three playoff trips just aren't enough to allow him to make it past the final votes for the Hall of Fame.
#1 - Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann's 1983 MVP season was a work of art. He helped the Washington Redskins achieve a 14-2 record and a trip to the Super Bowl a year after the team won the championship.
Theismann's MVP season saw him completing 60.1% of his passes, throwing for 3,914 yards, netting 29 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, for a career-high 97.0 passer rating. He also led the league in four game-winning drives.
However, Theismann broke his leg in 1985, which led to him having to retire. He was one of the only starting QBs at the time to achieve a Super Bowl championship and league MVP honors.
He is one of the only quarterbacks in history to have either of these designations without getting into the Hall of Fame.
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