LeSean McCoy Can't Believe The Julian Edelman Hall Of Fame Debate ... And Also Slightly Inflates His Own HOF Credentials

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- LeSean McCoy is a six-time Pro Bowler and two time First Team All-Pro. He's a bit shocked to hear a Hall of Fame debate surrounding zero-time Pro Bowler and zero-time All-Pro Julian Edelman.

The 32-year-old running back was interviewed by Yahoo! Sports' Jared Quay. When he was asked about the buzzing debate regarding Edelman's worthiness of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, McCoy seemingly couldn't believe it.

"Hall of Famer?" McCoy asked incredulously. "Nahhhh, come on, man."

McCoy, who's played for four teams in his 12-year NFL career, indicated that regular-season production matters more than postseason production, because every player gets the chance to play in the regular season.

"I mean, I think that you have 16 weeks to showcase who you are and what you can do each year. And I think the playoffs matter, but there's a lot of guys that don't get a chance to play in the playoffs. And I've played with some of them guys," McCoy said. "I won't discredit anything from him, because I think he's a great player. He plays with a lot of heart, a lot of attitude, a lot of passion. So I don't wanna knock on his parade, because he's retiring, he's a hell of a player. I don't know about the Hall of Fame."

Obviously, McCoy is not alone in this belief, and the fact that Edelman ranks 75th all time in receptions and 156th in receiving yards will likely prevent him from ever getting a bust in Canton. His placement at No. 2 all time in playoff receptions and receiving yards -- behind only the GOAT Jerry Rice in both categories -- certainly matters, too. So do his outstanding performances during three separate victorious Super Bowl runs as well as his Super Bowl MVP trophy. But it would nevertheless be surprising to get the gold jacket.

After offering up his Edelman commentary, McCoy was asked about his own Hall of Fame candidacy.

"I think I got a good shot at it,"he said. "I think that I put my numbers up with any other running backs in my decade. I was the lead dog. I think I got good numbers, from touchdowns, yards, you name it. Yards per carry. All them type of things. And you add on two Super Bowls with it. So you never know. We'll see."

He's got a point. He ranks 22nd all time in rushing yards and is tied for 28th in rushing touchdowns. Throw in his 3,898 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns, and McCoy was no doubt an offensive menace for opponents during his time with the Eagles and Bills.

Throwing the "two Super Bowls" on that resume might be a bit of a stretch. He was technically a part of the Chiefs' and Buccaneers' Super Bowl runs the past two years, but he touched the football zero times and was inactive for four of his teams' seven playoff games. He had 10 carries for 31 yards and 15 receptions for 101 yards in his 10 games with the Bucs last season, accounting for 2 percent of the team's total yards from scrimmage.

That might explain McCoy's particular position of putting the regular season on a pedestal high above the postseason. And it also helps shine a light on how Hall of Fame arguments can and will always be twisted to support whichever case is being made in the moment.

Also one fun fact: Edelman recorded a tackle on McCoy while playing defense against the Eagles in 2011:

That tackle helped set up a goal-line stand for the Patriots in what ended up being a 38-20 New England win. That's not here, nor is it there, but it is -- as promised -- a fun fact for you.

Anyways.

Outside of McCoy, though, we should all hope that "Is Julian Edelman a Hall of Famer?" becomes as pervasive in culture as "Julian Edelman played quarterback in college" has been for so long. Frankly, merely hearing the question causes far too many people to absolutely lose their minds, and it could and should provide a humorous side story for the coming days, weeks, months, and years until Edelman actually becomes eligible for enshrinement in 2026.

In:
• NFL
• Julian Edelman
• New England Patriots