The Seattle Seahawks have not been around as long as some of the NFL's oldest franchises. However, they've still produced a ton of amazing players and have achieved success that some teams have never accomplished.

Seattle played their first NFL season in 1976. The Seattle Seahawks were one of the first expansion teams in the league, joining the NFL the same season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Seahawks have had some solid success in the postseason during the past few decades. Seattle has appeared in three Super Bowls (2006, 2014, 2015) and won their franchise's only Lombardi Trophy in 2014.

Seattle is currently in a transition period as a franchise. The Pete Carroll/Russell Wilson era is officially over and head coach Mike Macdonald will look to turn the Seahawks into a defensive powerhouse once more.

Now that I've got you thinking about the “Legion of Boom”, let's talk about the best Seattle Seahawks players of all time.

The following list of 10 players all exemplify the best of the best among Seattle Seahawks players.

This list is based more on accomplishments than overall talent. As a baseline, I decided to only select players who either are in the Seahawks Ring of Honor or part of Seattle's “Legion of Boom” era. Players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame were placed at the top of the list.

Let's get into it.

10. Marshawn Lynch – RB

Lynch may not have had the longest career in Seattle, but he really made the most of his time as a Seahawk. His best years came between 2011 and 2014. Lynch eclipsed 1,200 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in each of those seasons. This is something that only all-time greats like LaDanian Tomlinson, Walter Payton, and Eric Dickerson have accomplished. That puts Lynch in some great company.

Lynch played 83 career games with the Seahawks, during which he rushed for 6,381 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns.

“Beast Mode” was a four-time Pro Bowler and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2012.

Plus who can forget that epic “Beast Quake” touchdown against the Saints?

9. Shaun Alexander – RB

The argument for putting Alexander ahead of Lynch comes down to longevity. Alexander's prime lasted a few years longer than Lynch and was consistently good. He also played for the Seahawks for nearly his entire career, aside from a four-game stint with Washington in 2008.

The crown jewel on Alexander's resume will always be his epic 2005 season. Alexander rushed for 1,880 yards and an astonishing 27 touchdowns at 5.1 yards per carry. He fell just one touchdown shy of tying LaDanian Tomlinson's 28 touchdown season, which would happen one year later in 2006. It is the current single-season rushing touchdown record in the NFL.

Alexander is also ranked eighth all-time for rushing touchdowns (100).

Shaun Alexander joined the Seahawks Ring of Honor on October 16th, 2022. He has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

8. Richard Sherman – CB

Sherman is the textbook example of a gritty, underrated player. The former Stanford graduate has gone on the record about being overlooked throughout his life and how that helped him develop his competitive attitude.

Sherman was a fifth-round pick who nobody expected to become one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. But that's just what he did.

Throughout his tenure with the Seahawks, Sherman put up some impressive coverage stats. He put up 32 interceptions and 99 passes defensed, cementing his legacy as a true shutdown corner.

Sherman earned First-Team All-Pro honors three times with the Seahawks.

We won't hold it against him that he ended his career with a brief stint with the division rival San Francisco 49ers.

7. Earl Thomas – S

The “Legion of Boom” just wouldn't be the same without Earl Thomas. The former first-round pick made an instant impact on the Seahawks. Thomas started all 16 games of his rookie year and logged 64 tackles, seven passes defensed, five interceptions, and one forced fumble. Those are some truly elite stats for a rookie free safety.

It should also be mentioned that Thomas was one of the most essential parts of the “Legion of Boom.” His elite speed and strong football instincts helped Seattle call an aggressive defensive scheme that no other team could replicate.

Thomas' long list of accolades help push him just ahead of Richard Sherman on this list. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and received First-Team All-Pro honors three separate times.

Thomas feels like a shoo-in to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That gives him an edge in this exercise.

6. Russell Wilson – QB

The past few years have been difficult for Russ, which makes it difficult to determine where he should be on this list. Russell Wilson's adventures in Denver shouldn't cloud our vision that Wilson was a stud during his prime in Seattle.

Wilson is an all-time NFL draft gem right up there with Tom Brady. The Seahawks drafted Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft and the thought at the time was he'd be a developmental backup to free agent acquisition Matt Flynn (remember him?).

Wilson won the starting job right away and never looked back. He played 10 incredible seasons for the Seahawks and quickly became the face of the franchise. Under Wilson's leadership, the Seahawks made it to two Super Bowls and won the franchise's first Lombardi Trophy.

Wilson's career stats are pretty great, even when you add in his two seasons in Denver. He has thrown for 43,653 yards with 334 touchdowns and 106 interceptions. His career passer rating is 100.0, which showcases that Wilson was a good starting QB for a long time.

I considered swapping Thomas and Wilson, but it feels right to give Russ the nod since he was, at worst, equally responsible for Seattle's success.

It will be interesting to look back on Wilson's career in a few years' time.

5. Bobby Wagner – LB

Bobby Wagner is such a beast. Wagner looks like he was built in a lab by someone who wanted to make the ultimate tackling machine.

He beats Wilson in these rankings because his stats are unbelievable and he's still a productive linebacker at 34 years old.

Wagner holds Seahawks franchise records in the following areas:

  • Most tackles, career (1,566)
  • Most solo tackles, career (915)
  • Most tackles, rookie season (87)
  • Most assisted tackles, career (651)
  • Most tackles for loss, career (79)
  • T-most fumbles returned for touchdown, career (3)
  • T-most fumbles returned for touchdown, season (2)

Bobby Wagner will play for the Washington Commanders in 2024 and will have a shot to break some all-time NFL records. He is 204 solo tackles away from London Fletcher's 1,200 career record. He is also only 99 total tackles away from Fletcher's 1,805 career record.

Wagner should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, so it feels fitting that he is just below the actual Hall of Famers on this list.

4. Cortez Kennedy – DT

Kennedy was one of the very best interior defensive linemen for his 11 years in the NFL. His name is littered all over Seattle's franchise record book for good reason.

Kennedy was a eight-time Pro Bowler, including a franchise-record six consecutive Pro Bowl appearances (1991-96).

Kennedy's best year came in 1992. He logged 93 tackles, 14 sacks, five forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries en route to winning the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Cortez Kennedy was inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor on September 17th, 2006. Kennedy was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 4th, 2012.

3. Kenny Easley – S

Before the “Legion of Boom”, Kenny Easley was the original enforcer in the Seahawks' secondary.

The former fourth-overall pick was built more like a modern defender with a blend of surprising power and incredible speed. This unique skillset helped him dominate during the 1980s NFL.

Easley led the Seahawks to three playoff appearances during his seven years in Seattle. He also earned First-Team All-Pro honors in three consecutive seasons.

Kenny Easley was inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor on October 14th, 2002. Easley was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 4th, 2017.

2. Steve Largent – WR

These final two spots could be in either order. Both Largent and Jones were incredible players who dominated at their respective positions.

Largent's story alone will keep him at the top of these lists forever. Before the beginning of the team's inaugural season, Seattle acquired little-known prospect Steve Largent in exchange for an eighth-round pick. He went on to become the most dominant wide receiver of his era, and an instant franchise-defining star for the Seahawks.

Largent was Seattle's first Pro Bowler ever in 1978 after logging 1,168 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

When Largent retired from the NFL, he held every major receiving record in league history. The game has changed a ton since then, so many of his all-time records have been obliterated by the next generation of superstars. However, Largent's name is still all over Seattle's franchise record books.

Steve Largent was inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor on December 23rd, 1989. Largent was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 29th, 1995.

1. Walter Jones – T

Walter Jones was a truly special offensive tackle.

Tackle is not the easiest position to prove the value of with statistics alone. However, Jones' pressure allow statistics make it very clear that he was an all-time great.

Jones played 13 seasons in the NFL and had 5,703 pass protection snaps. In that set of snaps, Jones was only called for holding nine times(!) and gave up a total of 23 sacks throughout his NFL career. That averages out to fewer than two sacks allowed per season.

Jones was a nine-time Pro Bowler, which narrowly surpassed Cortez Kennedy's best in team history. He was also a six-time AP All-Pro.

Walter Jones was inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor on November 2nd, 2014. Jones was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 2nd, 2014.