James Farrior ranks in the all-time elite tier for linebackers β a career that places Farrior in the top 5% of all players at the position. The Knox value model assigns Farrior a career score of 73, reflecting sustained impact that most players at the position never approach.
James Farrior
Height6'2"
Weight243 lb
BornJan 6, 1975
Age51
CollegeVirginiaSee College Stats
Rookie yr1997
Draft1997 Β· Rd 1, Pick 8 Β· NYJ
All-Time Rank & Honors
career ranks, postseason ranks, awards, title contextPostseason all-time ranks
2x
Pro Bowls
1x
All-Pro
An all-time caliber linebacker (top 5% all-time) who combined elite production with exceptional availability β almost never missed time. Iron Legends define eras β they show up, every game, for years on end.
Career Value Β· VORP
VORP 233 Β· #272 Β· EliteWorth 233 points of value above a freely-available replacement linebacker β top 7% of all 4,642 ranked at the position. 13 of 13 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +17.9 on average.See board β
Seasons above replacement
13 cleared
Beat replacement (adds to VORP) Below it β adds 0, never a debit
47
Replacement
the KC-H bar
β
13
Seasons over
cleared the bar
Γ
+17.9
Avg surplus
peak +30
13 seasons Γ ~17.9 surplus β VORP 233
Combined Season Grid
The full season-by-season grids, joined on one timeline. Every selected stat family stays visible at onceβno tab hopping.
1 grid split in one view
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | |||||
| 1997 | β | NYJ | 16 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 1.5 | 1.5 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 1998 | β | NYJ | 12 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 0.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 1999 | β | NYJ | 15 | β | 28 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | β | NYJ | 15 | β | 44 | 34 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | β | NYJ | 16 | β | 102 | 66 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 2 | 9 | 3 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | β | PIT | 14 | β | 56 | 34 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0.0 | 11.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | β | PIT | 16 | β | 114 | 71 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | β | PIT | 16 | β | 81 | 53 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | β | PIT | 14 | β | 95 | 50 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | β | PIT | 16 | β | 101 | 59 | 42 | 0 | 7 | 4.0 | 11.0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | β | PIT | 16 | β | 78 | 48 | 30 | 0 | 13 | 6.0 | 19.0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | β | PIT | 16 | β | 99 | 55 | 44 | 9 | 6 | 3.5 | 18.5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | β | PIT | 16 | β | 89 | 55 | 34 | 4 | 6 | 3.0 | 13.0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | β | PIT | 16 | β | 80 | 51 | 29 | 11 | 8 | 6.0 | 25.0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | β | PIT | 14 | β | 65 | 41 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| Career | β | 228 | β | 1,032 | 638 | 394 | 53 | 48 | 36.0 | 137.0 | 11 | 68 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 0 | |
Defense
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 22 | NYJ | 16 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 1.5 | 1.5 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 7.9 |
| 1998 | 23 | NYJ | 12 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 0.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 3.7 |
| 1999 | 24 | NYJ | 15 | β | 28 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | β | 0 | 0 | 6.7 |
| 2000 | 25 | NYJ | 15 | β | 44 | 34 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | β | 0 | 0 | 8.4 |
| 2001 | 26 | NYJ | 16 | β | 102 | 66 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 2 | 9 | 3 | β | 0 | 0 | 11.2 |
| 2002 | 27 | PIT | 14 | β | 56 | 34 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0.0 | 11.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 |
| 2003 | 28 | PIT | 16 | β | 114 | 71 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.8 |
| 2004 | 29 | PIT | 16 | β | 81 | 53 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15.1 |
| 2005 | 30 | PIT | 14 | β | 95 | 50 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.2 |
| 2006 | 31 | PIT | 16 | β | 101 | 59 | 42 | 0 | 7 | 4.0 | 11.0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 2007 | 32 | PIT | 16 | β | 78 | 48 | 30 | 0 | 13 | 6.0 | 19.0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | β | 0 | 0 | 12.2 |
| 2008 | 33 | PIT | 16 | β | 99 | 55 | 44 | 9 | 6 | 3.5 | 18.5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10.2 |
| 2009 | 34 | PIT | 16 | β | 89 | 55 | 34 | 4 | 6 | 3.0 | 13.0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10.1 |
| 2010 | 35 | PIT | 16 | β | 80 | 51 | 29 | 11 | 8 | 6.0 | 25.0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10.8 |
| 2011 | 36 | PIT | 14 | β | 65 | 41 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | 6.6 |
| Career | 228 | 1,032 | 638 | 394 | 53 | 48 | β | β | 11 | 68 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 137.4 |
KV-H Anatomy
KV-H 73 Β· GreatA great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 73 of 100, era-normalized against tackles/g peers across 13 scored seasons.
65
Sustained
career value
Γ.6
75
Peak
best 3 seasons
Γ.4
Γ1
Longevity
career length
Blend 69 Γ longevity 1 = KV-H 73Β· confidence 100%
What builds the career mark of 65
On-field 45.7
Availability 19.3
On-field production Staying available
Season-by-season quality (era-relative tackles/g)
1999bestavg 65elite 702011
All-Time Standing
how this career measures against the all-time greats at the position16
Depth
of 100
Reached 18% of the all-time Sacks leader β a rotational/depth all-time profile at the position.
18% of the all-time Sacks leader18
0 categories β₯25% of the all-time leader0
A 0β100 scale where 100 = matched the all-time leaderat this position. Built only from visible encyclopedia data β career production vs. the all-time leader, plus efficiency (EPA) and comparable-player confidence β so it's a transparent context score, not a subjective rating. Tiers: Elite β₯ 85 Β· Strong β₯ 65 Β· Solid β₯ 45 Β· Depth < 45. Comparable-player confidence: 91%.
Career Aging Trajectory
vs. position group average Β· KV-H basisAmber = this player (normalized to own peak). Indigo = average linebackers aging curve. Group peak age: 25. Source: StatVault KV-H era (1999+).
Postseason Career
17 playoff gamesDefense
Tkl89Solo49Ast40TFL2QBHits4Sk4.0Dis10.0Int2PD8
College stats are not imported for this profile yet.
StatVault has the verified college attribution (Virginia), but no parsed college box-score table is present in this profile artifact. The section stays here so every profile has a consistent college-stats landing point without fabricating unavailable rows.
Reference Graph
Career teammates and draft class, derived from year-by-year rosters β every name is linked.
Top Teammates
Hines WardWR10yCasey HamptonNT10yAaron SmithDE10yIke TaylorCB9yTroy PolamaluS9yLarry FooteMLB9yJeff ReedK9yBen RoethlisbergerQB8yDeshea TownsendDB8yJames HarrisonOLB8yBrett KeiselDE8yChris HokeNT8yHeath MillerTE7yCharlie BatchQB7yRyan ClarkFS6yClark HaggansLB6yTyrone CarterDB6yTravis KirschkeDE6yBryant McFaddenCB6yWillie ParkerRB6yDan KreiderFB6yVerron HaynesFB6yJerame TumanTE6yMo LewisOLB5y
1997 Draft ClassΒ· this player went #8
Franchise Succession
the room, before and afterJames inherited the Pittsburgh Steelers LB room from Clark Haggans (2001β2007), and handed it to Larry Foote (2002β2013).
Similar Players
Statistical + physical similarity across every player in the database, position-relevant (0β100%).
Movementderived from season history
- 2011final season
Last recorded season with PIT
- 2002team change
Joined PIT (from NYJ)
- 1997draft
Drafted by NYJ β Round 1, Pick 8
Athletic & Unique Profile
verified measurements and curated source-tagged facts6'2" / 243 lb
Frame
Injury History
From nflverse weekly injury reports Β· coverage begins 2009.
| Season | Team | Games Out | Designations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | PIT | 0 | W8QuestionableΒ· CalfW9QuestionableΒ· Calf |
Knox
StatVault's proprietary player intelligence, informed by full career data. How Knox works β
Historical Knox Β· KV-H
Era-normalized career quality β z-scored against 13-season peers. See all β
73
peak 75
Season Report CardsΒ· KV-H era-normalized per season
C+1999
C+2000
B+2001
C+2002
B+2003
B2004
B+2005
B+2006
B2007
B+2008
B2009
B2010
B2011
Era Translator
Tackles translated to the 2025NFL β each season's standing among its own-era peers, projected onto 2025's scoring environment. Modern-era (1999+) coverage.
| Season | Actual Tackles | Tackles/G | β 2025 Tackles | β 2025 /G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 28 | 1.9 | 28 | 1.6 |
| 2000 | 44 | 2.9 | 40-4 | 2.4 |
| 2001 | 102 | 6.4 | 103+1 | 6.1 |
| 2002 | 56 | 4 | 52-4 | 3.1 |
| 2003 | 114 | 7.1 | 124+10 | 7.3 |
| 2004 | 81 | 5.1 | 77-4 | 4.5 |
| 2005 | 95 | 6.8 | 115+20 | 6.8 |
| 2006 | 101 | 6.3 | 106+5 | 6.2 |
| 2007 | 78 | 4.9 | 73-5 | 4.3 |
| 2008 | 99 | 6.2 | 100+1 | 5.9 |
| 2009 | 89 | 5.6 | 86-3 | 5.1 |
| 2010 | 80 | 5 | 77-3 | 4.5 |
| 2011 | 65 | 4.6 | 69+4 | 4.1 |
Data: nflverse:players, nflverse:player_stats_def, nflverse:draft_picks, nflverse:injuries, wikipedia:season-stats (CC-BY-SA, facts-only), nfl.com:official-stats (facts-only reference), espn.com:stats-api (games-played, facts-only reference) Β· multi-source verified via the StatVault Oracle Β· updated 6/18/2026
Career Value Β· VORP
233 career value over replacement β #272 all-time of 4,642. 17.9/season above a replacement-level LB.
Draft OutcomeValue β
Pick #8 (Rd 1) Β· NYJ Β· 1997 Β· +12.6 vs expected KV-H
73actual
60.4 expected Β· Ξ+12.6
Fan Rating
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