Steelers Great James Harrison Doesn't Desire To Be In The NFL Hall of Fame Because 'They're Letting Anyone In'

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, James Harrison will always be recognized as one of the best undrafted players in history. He recently made headlines when he was speaking to TMZ and blatantly said that he doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. It came as a shock to fans who have been aggressively arguing that the retired All-Pro deserves a bust in Canton, OH. He was the Steelers all-time sack leader entering 2023 prior to edge rusher, TJ Watt taking over early on in the season. He also was responsible for one of the most memorable plays in the history of the Super Bowl.

Harrison could have simply decided to be humble and take the mature route when talking about the subject, but it truly seemed like he doesn't believe his statistics are strong enough to be inducted with some of the NFL greats. One of his former teammates, Ike Taylor, had a different opinion when discussing it on his podcast, Bleav in Steelers, which he hosts alongside Mark Bergin.

Taylor doesn't think that Harrison should be left out, but also believes Harrison knows that he should be in, however, he simply does not want to be. His reasoning was rather interesting.

"Man, Deebo just keeping it 100. Deebo feel like, 'Man, they just letting anybody in' and he don't just wanna be anybody," Taylor said.

Another former teammate of the two defenders, Hines Ward, may have a different opinion considering he has great numbers and a Super Bowl MVP to his resume, yet he can't quite get in the door in Canton. Harrison, on the other hand, has always been opinionated and if Taylor feels like that linebacker has no interest of getting in specifically because it's not as special of an honor as it used to be, it shouldn't come as a surprise.

Harrison is 67th on the all-time sack list, which may be one of the reasons he brought up his numbers when talking to TMZ. With that said, the first four seasons of his 15-year NFL career only saw him start four games and compile four total sacks. A total of 80 and a half sacks the next 11 years is incredibly impressive. He was an AP Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time Super Bowl champion and even finished fourth in MVP voting in 2008.

His situation is a unique one given the slow start to his time in the NFL. He didn't even register a snap in the 2003 season, so he technically had five calendar years until he started to really make an impact for the Steelers. Taylor isn't buying the notion that he doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. He thinks is former teammate is well-deserving.

"Deebo is well-deserving of getting his a** in the Hall of Fame. You talking about a player who dominated, a player that people feared, whether it was a quarterback, running back or a wide receiver. Whether it was an offensive coordinator, whether it was a special teams coach; they feared James Harrison. Deebo looking at it like the Hall of Fame should be red carpet only."

It really seems like Taylor has had these conversations with Harrison in the past. The linebacker feels like and knows he's one of the best in NFL history, but if the decision-making process of inducting people has become watered down, he doesn't want anyone out there thinking that he shouldn't be alongside the best in the history of the league.

Steelers Fans Truly Lucky To Be Having These Debates

Not many fan bases across the NFL can say that there are several more individuals from their franchise that should be, but are not currently, in the Hall of Fame. Harrison and Ward are just two recent candidates that come to mind. Ben Roethlisberger will be a first-ballot inductee in 2027, but no one is really sure if Harrison or Ward will ever receive the honor. It certainly feels like Harrison has no interest in joining Roethlisberger one day.