Analysis: Top 6 Seahawks' Ring of Honor Candidates For 2021

With team president Chuck Arnold indicating Seattle planned to add a new member to the franchise's prestigious group next season, several players and an esteemed coach boast "Ring of Honor" worthy resumes. Which one will get the call?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing fans from attending games at Lumen Field last season, the Seahawks didn't induct any new members to their "Ring of Honor" in 2020. But with vaccinations now being done nationwide and a sense of hope growing in regard to fans returning in the near future, the franchise doesn't envision that happening again in 2021.

In an interview on 950 KJR Seattle, team president Chuck Arnold confirmed the Seahawks have plans in place to induct a new member to the team's Ring of Honor next fall. As expected, he didn't disclose who would be honored, but the ceremony would be the first since late owner Paul Allen became the 12th member in 2019.

Who will be the next player/coach/contributor to have his name and/or jersey number hanging from the rafters alongside all-time greats such as Walter Jones and Steve Largent? While there are several worthy candidates, these six names should be the front runners to join the franchise's most exclusive group.

Shaun Alexander

Though his prime ended up being relatively short compared to other elite backs from his era, Alexander rushed for 1,100-plus yards and double digit touchdowns every season from 2001 to 2005, including earning MVP honors after leading the league with 1,880 yards and a then-record 27 rushing touchdowns in 2005. He's one of only eight players in league history to achieve such a feat and the other seven are already in the Hall of Fame. He's also one of just nine players all-time with 100 or more career rushing touchdowns, with all but one of the other eight in Canton.

It's been more than a decade since Alexander hung up his cleats and to this point, he hasn't been able to break through as a Hall of Fame candidate in part due to inaccurate narrative most of his success stemmed from having an elite line in front of him. It's becoming increasingly unlikely he will be enshrined in Canton, but if he's not going to get a "Hall Call," he absolutely deserves to be in the Ring of Honor as one of the franchise's most decorated stars.

Matt Hasselbeck

While he may have lacked individual awards compared to the other top-tier quarterbacks from his era, Hasselbeck consistently performed at a high level under center. Backed by a strong ground game, he tossed 174 touchdown passes, completed 61 percent of his pass attempts, and eclipsed Dave Krieg as the franchise's all-time leader in passing yardage (29,434) in 10 seasons with the Seahawks. Aside from putting up stellar passing totals, his leadership took the organization to new heights as they reached the playoffs six times and advanced to Super Bowl XL after the 2005 season.

Even with Russell Wilson breaking the vast majority of his records in recent years, Hasselbeck still remains third in Seahawks history for touchdown passes, second in completions, and second in passing yardage. He also earned Pro Bowl honors three times. As one of the most distinguished signal callers to wear blue and green, it's only a matter of time until he joins Krieg as the second quarterback in the Ring of Honor.

Steve Hutchinson

Drafted in the first round out of Michigan in 2001, Hutchinson instantly jumped into Seattle's starting lineup as a rookie and became one of the best guards in the NFL in quick order. Following an injury-shortened second season, he garnered First-Team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection for the first time as the Seahawks captured an NFC West title. Two years later, he helped pave the way for Alexander's record-breaking campaign by dominating opponents at the line of scrimmage and once again received First-Team All-Pro accolades as a key part of the team's Super Bowl run.

Unfortunately, the infamous "Poison Pill" debacle led to Hutchinson departing in 2006 for Minnesota, leaving on poor terms and upsetting the fan base. But despite his ugly exit, time heals all wounds, as he eventually returned to raise the 12 flag before a playoff game in 2017 and currently holds a football consultant position with the organization. Set to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, it would only be fitting for him to join the Ring of Honor in the same time span.

Mike Holmgren

Seattle enjoyed brief spurts of success in the 1980s under coach Chuck Knox, but the franchise had struggled to field a consistent winner during its first 25 years of existence. However, fortunes changed under Holmgren, who replaced Dennis Erickson in 1999 and promptly led the team to an AFC West title. Though there were some bumps in the road towards becoming a legitimate title contender, he elevated the Seahawks to uncharted waters, guiding them to a Super Bowl berth in 2005 as part of a stretch with five consecutive playoff appearances.

When Holmgren stepped away after the 2008 season, he held Seattle's franchise record for regular season wins (86) as well as playoff victories (4). Pete Carroll has since surpassed both marks to stake his claim as the best coach in franchise history, but Holmgren helped lay the groundwork for the Seahawks to be a consistent threat in the NFC West with five division titles and there's no question his name belongs in the rafters.

Kam Chancellor

Exhibiting a rare combination of size (6-foot-3, 230 pounds) and athleticism for the position, Chancellor ushered in a new type of safety by dishing bone-rattling hits that made opponents both respect and fear him. Along with cleaning up ball carriers in the run game, receivers thought twice before running routes into the middle of the field due to his presence, dramatically influencing how teams attacked Seattle's defense. The heart and soul of the vaunted "Legion of Boom," he racked up at least 81 tackles five different times in his career, made four Pro Bowls, and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors twice.

The vast majority of the stars from Seattle's back-to-back Super Bowl squads in 2013 and 2014 remain on NFL rosters. But unfortunately for Chancellor, his career came to an abrupt end midway through the 2017 season when he suffered a severe neck injury that forced him to retire. Still as popular as he was when he was delivering hit sticks on the field more than three years ago, the hard-hitting safety could become the first of many players from the winningest era in franchise history to join the illustrious Ring of Honor.

Joe Nash

One of the most underappreciated and overlooked stars in Seahawks history, Nash was a beacon of durability, consistency, and toughness in 15 NFL seasons. Undrafted out of Boston College due to his lack of size and perceived ability, he opened his career as a valuable reserve before busting out as a First-Team All-Pro selection in 1984, registering 82 tackles, 7.0 sacks, and a defensive touchdown. From 1983 to 1995, he didn't miss a single game, starting 168 out of 203 games while amassing a ridiculous 707 solo tackles and 46.5 sacks.

When Nash hung up his cleats after the 1996 season, he ranked second in franchise history behind only safety Eugene Robinson for combined tackles and fourth in sacks behind Jacob Green, Michael Sinclair, and Cortez Kennedy. He's also the franchise record holder for blocked field goals and extra points with 10 of them. After somehow going his entire career with only one Pro Bowl selection, a strong argument can be made there's not a former Seahawk player or coach more deserving of being admitted into the Ring of Honor.