Joe Mays is a career quality starter — a linebacker whose body of work places Mays in the top half of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Mays's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Defense | Snap Counts | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% | |||||
| 2009 | 24 | PHI | 2 | — | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2010 | 25 | DEN | 6 | — | 27 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2011 | 26 | DEN | 15 | — | 69 | 58 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0.0 | 11.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012 | 27 | DEN | 4 | — | 19 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013 | 28 | HOU | 14 | — | 60 | 35 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 11.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | — | 0.0% | 544 | 61.0% | 49 | 12.0% |
| 2014 | 29 | KC | 8 | — | 14 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 116 | 21.6% | 86 | 38.8% |
| 2015 | 30 | SD | 9 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 18 | 3.1% | 169 | 68.0% |
| Career | — | 58 | — | 195 | 137 | 58 | 19 | 9 | 1.5 | 29.5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Career Value · VORP
23 career value over replacement — #3011 all-time of 4,695. 4.6/season above a replacement-level LB.
Pick #200 (Rd 6) · PHI · 2008 · +28.1 vs expected KV-H
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Rate Joe Mays — All-Time
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2008: no recorded NFL regular-season production. StatVault's source covers these seasons in full, so this is an absence of production, not of data.
6 seasons · peak 0.3 in 2013
VAL (Value Above League) measures each NFL season against that season's league; the dashed line is zero — a season that added nothing above the league's fringe. ● peak · ○ league-best season.
#350 of 967 all-time linebackers by KV-H
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 24 | PHI | 2 | — | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 25 | DEN | 6 | — | 27 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 26 | DEN | 15 | — | 69 | 58 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0.0 | 11.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 27 | DEN | 4 | — | 19 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.1 |
| 2013 | 28 | HOU | 14 | 9* | 60 | 35 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 11.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0.3 |
| 2014 | 29 | KC | 5 | 0* | 14 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 30 | SD | 1 | 0* | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 47 | 195 | 137 | 58 | 19 | 9 | 1.5 | 29.5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.4 |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 28 | HOU | 14 | 9* | — | 0.0% | 544 | 61.0% | 49 | 12.0% |
| 2014 | 29 | KC | 8 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 116 | 21.6% | 86 | 38.8% |
| 2015 | 30 | SD | 9 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 18 | 3.1% | 169 | 68.0% |
| Career | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
A solid career by KV-H: a remarkably steady profile that scores 50 of 100, era-normalized against tackles/g peers across 5 scored seasons.
Blend 49.8 × longevity 1 = KV-H 50· confidence 78%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative tackles/g)
Dan Connor
ILB
87% match
2008 Draft ClassmatesFull class →