Mark Gastineau a Hall of Famer? Former Jets teammate Marty Lyons isn't sure

Does Mark Gastineau belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? That question is asked again this week as the 1981 New York Jets prove more relevant than the 2024 New York Jets.

A clip from ESPN’s upcoming episode “30 for 30,” which features the Jets’ famous “New York Sack Exchange,” premiering Friday night, shows Gastineau, the most prolific pass rusher in franchise history, as he goes along with to face Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre at a card show last year in Chicago. The reason? Gastineau remains upset that Favre essentially gave up a largely meaningless play at the end of a game against the New York Giants in 2001, but one that resulted in future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan sacking Gastineau’s 17-year-old broke (at the time) single-season NFL sack record.

“I know Mark was mad at Brett Favre,” Gastineau’s longtime Jets linemate Marty Lyons told USA TODAY Sports this week.

“I was there and I told him, ‘Mark, you have to let it go.’ And he wasn’t going to let it go. … It’s just a number, and there’s already a tie with (Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker) TJ Watt.

“But for Mark to have to bear this burden so many years later is sad. That’s it really. … (I)t has annoyed Mark all these years – he hasn’t been able to let go and move on. Did it mean that much to him? Apparently it was.”

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A three-time All-Pro, Gastineau led the NFL in sacks in both 1983 (with 19) and 1984, when he set the record with 22 sacks. Strahan finished with 22½ after his dubious win over Favre, a number Watt matched in 2021.

“You really hurt me. You hurt me, Brett,” Gastineau was heard saying in the video clip of the brief encounter, while Favre appeared slightly stunned before being led away.

Favre explained his side of the story in a lengthy social media post on Tuesday, but also appeared to support Gastineau as HOF-worthy.

“I have a lot of respect for Mark. I hope he joins me in the Hall of Fame one day,” Favre wrote on X.

“He deserves it. Look at his numbers.”

While Watt appears to be a candidate to one day join Favre and Strahan in Canton, Gastineau — a five-time Pro Bowler with 107½ career sacks (74 of them after they became an official statistic in 1982) — doesn’t have a bronze spot.

Should he?

“Look, that’s a fair question. “I’ve always believed that when you’re that good, you don’t have to promote yourself, you know,” said Lyons, Gastineau’s teammate from 1979 to 1988.

“Does Mark deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? You know, the numbers say yes – but to be honest, I don’t know.

“Did he play for them (Sacks)? Or was he playing for the game, was he playing for his teammates?”

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It’s just an issue at the heart of Gastineau’s candidacy. At 6-5 and 265 pounds — and Gastineau, like many NFL players of his era, was a known steroid user — he was ultra-athletic and an explosive talent who helped shape what the modern edge rusher has become. However, he was also often accused of ignoring his gap responsibilities or not focusing on defending the run when chasing quarterbacks.

This distinguished Gastineau from another Sack Exchange member, Joe Klecko. A Pro Bowler at defensive end, defensive tackle and nose tackle, Klecko had (unofficially) 31 sacks between the 1980 and 1981 seasons, but also spent much of his career using his signature strength and doing the dirty work inside.

Klecko was admitted to the hall last year after a 35-year wait. Whether Gastineau will join remains to be seen.

“I think Mark was an outstanding defensive end, he could get to the quarterback,” Lyons said.

“Was he one-dimensional? Perhaps. Did he think every play was a pass? Maybe – but he could get to the quarterback.”

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Mark Gastineau a Hall of Famer? Former Jets teammate Marty Lyons isn’t sure

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