All-time great Chicago Bears cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman’s latest bid for the Pro Football Hall of Fame has officially begun.
Tillman has advanced to the list of 52 modern-era candidates for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, his fourth nomination since he became eligible in 2021. He, along with the rest of the candidates, made it past a preliminary list of 128 former players to be considered for induction next year.
The 6-2, 210-pound cornerback out of Louisiana is one of the most interesting Hall of Fame cases in the current crop. Tillman, who spent 12 of his 13 seasons in Chicago—most of them in Lovie Smith’s Cover-2 schemes—flew under the radar because his role often involved tackling and physical play at the line of scrimmage more than playing the football down the field. For instance, he averaged nearly 90 total tackles over a 16-game season but never once intercepted more than five passes in a year.
But as we all know, interceptions and passes defensed weren’t the real story when it came to Tillman. His 44 career forced fumbles tie him for eighth all-time among defensive players. More impressively: he’s the only defensive back to ever force more than 40 in their career, with every other player on the list’s top 10 being defensive ends or pass-rushing outside linebackers.
The uncanny efficacy of the move has transformed how defensive players attack ball-carriers in the NFL. You can’t watch an NFL game today without seeing a defender cock back a haymaker to knock a ball out the way Tillman used to, and it’s highly common to hear the term “Peanut Punch” when one of those blows makes a ball hit the turf.
The chief problem for Tillman: there are too many great players each year with more individual accolades than him waiting for their Hall call. (Tillman only has two Pro Bowls and one First Team All-Pro nod to his name.) Though he’s received four nominations, he’s never made the semifinal or final round.
This year will likely continue that trend, with Drew Brees a lock in his first year of eligibility and several finalists from last year’s class (e.g. Luke Kuechly, Steve Smith Sr. and Adam Vinatieri) who will likely be strong candidates again.
Unlike with Devin Hester, who we knew would get in eventually as the greatest return man of all time, Tillman’s path to the Hall feels less straightforward.
But one thing’s for sure: you can’t tell the story of NFL football for the last 20 years without talking about Tillman and the Peanut Punch. Hopefully, the Hall of Fame committee will officially honor that fact with a gold jacket, whether it’s this year or another year down the road.
