Jared Allen, who became a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist in his first year of eligibility, was eliminated in the first round of cuts when the 48-member selection committee met virtually on Jan. 19 to choose the Class of 2021.
The former Vikings defensive end, a four-time first-team All-Pro whose 136 sacks rank 12th on the NFL career list, joined linebacker Sam Mills, cornerback Ronde Barber and receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne among the cuts from 15 to 10.
The committee, which includes this reporter, met for 8 hours, 42 minutes. The discussion on Allen lasted only 8 minutes, 2 seconds — the second-shortest of 18 discussions behind only Peyton Manning, the record five-time MVP whose obvious first-ballot, slam-dunk case needed only 21 seconds to essentially present the legendary quarterback's name.