London Fletcher's Chances at a Gold Jacket: Looking at the LB who matched Ray Lewis
London Fletcher is one of the best tacklers ever. Yet somehow, he's still one of the most underrated players ever. The legendary Washington linebacker was as consistent a middle-of-the-field defender as the league had during his 16-season NFL career. He was always around the ball and always kept his team in the game.
The most unique part about Fletcher's career was that he played in every single game of his career. He did not miss a single one of his 256 career games (NFL record for LB). He started 215 consecutive games at one point (NFL record for a LB). Whether it was in St. Louis, Buffalo, or Washington, London Fletcher was as consistent as they come.
London Fletcher the Tackler
London Fletcher sits second all-time in career tackles with 2,039 (20 fewer than Ray Lewis, who has the most tackles ever). According to Pro Football Reference, Fletcher recorded over 100 tackles in 14 of his 16 career seasons. In fact, those 100-tackle seasons came in 14 consecutive seasons.
He had 11 career seasons with 90+ solo tackles, including four seasons with 100+ solo tackles. He was also a great defender in pass coverage. His 96 career passes defended are better than the likes of Hall of Fame linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher. He was as complete a middle linebacker as there was during his 15+ seasons in the NFL.
The All-Pro Star
London Fletcher was voted to the Pro Bowl four times and was named an All-Pro twice (2011-2012). The NFL did him a disservice by voting him to just four Pro Bowls and just two All-Pro Teams. He was consistently elite for a long, long time. That is why he was named to the Washington Commanders Ring of Fame in 2019.
Perhaps the best part of his NFL career came in just his second NFL season when he played for the St. Louis Rams. The Rams defeated the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV. Fletcher led both teams in tackles with nine.
Fletcher's statistics make for a strong case for Canton. He was an All-Pro and Pro Bowl-caliber defender, as well as an NFL champion. These are all the qualities franchises get in legendary players.