Steve Smith: Is the Carolina Panthers Wide Receiver a Hall of Famer?

Steve Smith is back. 

No. 89, bottom line.  There is no question, the 5'9'' receiver out of Utah is the greatest Carolina Panther of all time.  However, does he merit Hall of Fame consideration?  That answer will be yes, but he is not there yet. 

At age 32, the explosive wideout shows no signs of slowing down.  He currently leads the NFL in yardage by 94 yards over another diminutive wide receiver, Wes Welker.  He has made Cam Newton's NFL transition easier by allowing him to stretch the field and making unbelievable catches.

After a poor 2010 campaign that was marred by inconsistent quarterback play, many said Smith's best days were behind him.  He is proving to all the critics that he is just as dynamic as ever.  Smitty is on pace for his best season ever and is slowly creeping up into the pantheon of legendary receivers.

Smith is one of the fiercest players in the NFL.  Small in stature, Smith more than makes up for it with swagger, intensity and, most of all, ability.  The first time he ever touched the ball, Smith returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score in the Metrodome. 

The Panthers knew they had hit a home run in the draft, as Smith made a Pro Bowl as a returner in his rookie season.

Since then, Smith has transformed himself into a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver.  Back in 2003, teams would often game-plan to stop Smith by triple-teaming him.  Smith is the ultimate package: glue-like hands, precise route-running ability, the ability to go and get the ball in the air and, most of all, speed. 

Smith has 666 career catches for an average of 14.7 yards per reception.  After each catch, he is known for his patented spinning of the ball.  Back before the NFL became the No Fun League regarding touchdown dances, Smith was also one of the best.

Yes, I know dancing doesn't get you into the Hall of Fame, so back to the stats.

Smith is currently 37th in NFL history in career receiving yards at 9,802.  Five active players are ahead of him: wide receivers Chad Ochocinco, Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward and Derrick Mason, and tight end Tony Gonzalez.  Of those, the only Hall of Fame lock is Gonzalez, who is the greatest tight end to ever play the game.

The rest have a legitimate shot but aren't shoe-ins as of yet.  Of the four receivers, Derrick Mason has the hardest road to being inducted because of the fact that he was never considered one of the top five receivers in the NFL, but rather a model of consistency. 

Smith, however, was once the most feared receiver in football.  Ward and Wayne have both won Super Bowls, which I think the panel takes very seriously.  Ochocinco, like Smith, loved the spotlight.  However, Ochocinco's career looks to be over as Smith's is still going strong.

Ochocinco, Wayne, Ward, Mason and Smith are basically all in the same category—close, but not there yet.

Smith's current contract ends after the 2012 season.  However, Smith recently said in a radio interview with 610 WFNZ in Charlotte that he wants to play three or four more years.  Hopefully for Panther fans, in those years he still wears Panther blue donning No. 89.

If Smith is true to his word, that gives the receiver four more years to torch defenses.  It's feasible Smith could easily post 3,000 to 5,000 more yards.  That would put him into the top 10 all-time in receiving yardage with names like Rice, Moss, Bruce, Lofton and Carter.  Smith has the route running and football IQ to transfer from a go-to receiver to a dynamic slot target as he ages. 

The lightning-quick Smith already has an unbelievable chemistry with Cam Newton that will only continue to grow.  Imagine how good Smith was with Jake Delhomme as his quarterback.  Now imagine if Smith had played with Cam Newton or a viable top-10 quarterback his whole career.  I know, ridiculous.  The man is a freak of nature.

Smith is currently on the fringe of being included in Hall of Fame discussions.  However, it won't be long before Smith is mentioned with the all-time greats in every discussion. 

When Steve Smith retires, no Carolina Panther should ever wear No. 89 again.  Unless, of course, it's Smith who is wearing it on the steps of Canton getting enshrined into the Hall of Fame.