By Jordan Long
One of the best linebackers to put on a Kansas City Chiefs’ uniform has decided to retire from the NFL. Tamba Hali agreed to a one-day contract with the Chiefs’ so he could leave the game with the team that drafted him. His next stop may not be the Hall of Fame but definitely the Chiefs’ “Ring of Honor”.
Hali played college football for Penn State University from 2004 to 2005. 2005 was his breakout year for Penn State playing in 12 games. He totaled 65 tackles and 17 of them were for a loss. Hali also added 11 sacks. He was one of the top defensive players in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Hali was selected 20th overall by Kansas City. Some notable names who were selected before him include defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, tight end Vernon Davis, defensive back Antonio Cromartie, and linebacker A.J. Hawk. Kansas City was hoping Hali would help the defensive line to create pressure and sack the quarterback.
In his first season, Hali totaled 8 sacks for Kansas City and 62 tackles. He also forced 5 fumbles and had 7 quarterback hits, a taste of what he could do for the team. Hali ended up with double digit sacks 3 times, including a career best 14.5 in 2010.
The 2017 season was the worst for Hali. He played in a career low 5 games, totaling 1 tackle. On March 12th, 2018 Kansas City released Hali to save $7.7 million in salary cap space. This was going to give Hali a chance to keep playing with another organization. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. He hasn’t played a down since the 2017 season. The Chiefs and Hali agreed that it was only right for him to retire as a member of the Chiefs.
Hali was one of the top defensive players ever in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs. When opponents’ offense lined up, they needed to know where Hali was. He could stop the run, put pressure on the quarterback, and force fumbles. He could change the course of the game with one play. Hali ended up with 596 tackles with 105 of them for a loss, 159 quarterback hits, 33 forced fumbles, and 8 fumble recoveries. The best part of his game was sacking the quarterback. He ended up with 89.5 sacks in his career, second only in Chiefs’ history to Hall Of Fame linebacker/defensive end Derick Thomas who totaled 126.5 sacks.
Kansas City went to the playoffs 4 times with Hali. The furthest Kansas City advanced with him was in 2015 but were beaten by the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round. In 5 playoff games, Hali didn’t play well with only 16 tackles and 2 sacks.
Hali wanted to retire as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. His stats show what he could do for Kansas City. He may not have won a Super Bowl ring, but was voted into the Pro Bowl 6 times. Kansas City will place him in their “Ring of Honor” at some point. He might even have a chance at the Hall of Fame because of the way he played the game. His play proved how valuable he was.
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