Ray Guy is the only punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If you ask NBC Sports' Peter King, another former Raider has a strong case to join him.
Shane Lechler, who retired over the weekend after 18 NFL seasons (and 13 with the Raiders), is a lock for Canton in King's eyes.
"I believe Shane Lechler is a Hall of Fame player, and not just because his 47.6-yard average over 18 seasons is the best yards-per-punt average in NFL history," King wrote in his weekly Football Morning in America column. "What always impressed me about Lechler was his incredible consistency."
King noted that Lechler averaged higher yards per punt in 10 seasons in his thirties (48.31) than six in his twenties (45.78), and had his highest average in two in his forties (48.35).
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Lechler also was a fixture with the Silver and Black. His 206 games with the Raiders are fourth-most in franchise history, behind only Guy (207), Tim Brown (240) and his special-teams battery mate, Sebastian Janikowski (269). In fact, just 13 players have suited up in more NFL games than Lechler (286).
That list primarily is populated with specialists, but Jeff Feagles (352 games) is the only punter to play more than Lechler, although Lechler has averaged about six yards more per punt. The longevity and the consistency mean he's one of the very best to play his position, but will that get him a Hall of Fame bust?
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We won't know until after the 2022 season at the earliest, when the punter is first eligible for induction.
