Steve Smith Sr. and Luke Kuechly may not have gotten their knocks this year, but at least another former Carolina Panther is headed to the Hall.
On Thursday night, defensive end Jared Allen was named one of four members for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2025 class. He will be inducted this summer alongside Sterling Sharpe, Eric Allen and Antonio Gates.
Allen played the final 14 games of his NFL career with the Panthers, who traded for the then-33-year-old pass rusher in the middle of the 2015 campaign. That year saw Carolina go 15-1 in the regular season en route to their second-ever Super Bowl appearance.
Prior to his short stint in Charlotte, Allen split his first 11 years (and part of his 12th) between the Kansas City Chiefs (2004 to 2008), the Minnesota Vikings (2008 to 2013) and the Chicago Bears (2014 to 2015).
The former fourth-round pick, who led the league in sacks in 2007 and 2011, finished with four first-team All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl nods.