Allen's casual when he says it, in a way beyond the fact he walked into the Hall on a cool spring morning in a pair of shorts and flip-flops, nursing a massive organic coffee.
But the reality is that the Panthers were the final chapter of a brilliant career.
After arriving in a Week 4 trade, Allen played 12 regular season games, plus two more in the playoffs. He was able to play in his only career Super Bowl as a member of the Panthers, which overshadowed the fact he collected 2.0 of his 136.0 career sacks with the Panthers.
He admitted some frustration at not being an every-down player — a combination of his own health and the return of Charles Johnson from the injury that sparked the trade — but also kept coming back to all the fun he had every day at practice and how good that team was.
"It was like, pretty much, get out of your own way," Allen said. "You said you wanted to play in a Super Bowl before you retire, and here you are on this insanely good team. So, just find where you can help, and let's get to the ultimate goal.
"So that's why I always say it's the most success I ever had playing football, yet personally, it was the worst season of my career."