Marshawn Lynch, Earl Thomas Headline Seattle Seahawks 2025 Hall of Fame Nominees

In their first year of eligibility, two iconic members from the Seahawks Super Bowl-winning squad have been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Nov 15, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) rushes against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Eligible for the first time five years after they last suited up in the NFL, Seattle Seahawks legends Marshawn Lynch and Earl Thomas have been selected among 167 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

One of the most popular players to ever wear a Seahawks uniform for his play style as well as his individual quirks, including eating Skittles on the sideline during games, Lynch became a superstar after arriving in Seattle via trade from Buffalo in 2010. Earning the nickname "Beast Mode" for his punishing running style and unrivaled ability to break tackles in bunches, he orchestrated several of the most memorable runs in league history, including the 67-yard "Beast Quake" touchdown run in an upset over the Saints in the 2010 Wild Card Round that created seismic readings at then-named Qwest Field.

One of only 12 players in NFL history to accomplish the feat in four different seasons, Lynch surpassed 1,200 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns each year from 2011 to 2014 for the Seahawks, earning All-Pro distinction twice and making four Pro Bowl teams during that span. He's the only player to ever produce four consecutive seasons meeting those criteria, which certainly adds teeth to his Hall of Fame resume.

After spending two seasons with the Raiders following a one-year retirement, Lynch's career came full circle when he returned to join the Seahawks late in the 2019 season for their playoff push, and he scored three touchdowns in two postseason games in his homecoming. He wrapped up his illustrious career with 10,413 rushing yards and 85 touchdowns, ranking 29th and 17th all-time in those two categories, while also winning a Super Bowl ring in Seattle.

An immediate standout in coach Pete Carroll's secondary, Thomas quickly emerged as one of the NFL's premier safeties after the Seahawks selected him in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. From 2011 to 2015, at the peak of the vaunted "Legion of Boom" defense, the hyper-aggressive defender tallied 430 combined tackles, 16 interceptions, and nine forced fumbles, receiving All-Pro honors four times and making five consecutive Pro Bowl rosters.

Unfortunately, Thomas' time in Seattle didn't end on good terms. In his final three seasons with the organization, he suffered two broken legs that landed him on injured reserve and between those injuries, he found himself in a contract stalemate with the front office and wasn't quiet about the possibility of playing elsewhere, even going as far as going into the Cowboys locker room in 2016 after a game and telling coach Jason Garrett "to come get me."

In what turned out to be his final game in a Seahawks uniform in 2018, while being carted off the field at State Farm Stadium, Thomas gave the bird to the team's sideline, looking to be aimed towards Carroll. He signed with the Ravens the following offseason and played one season with the team before being released following a confrontation with a teammate on the practice field the following August. He didn't play another down in the NFL.

Despite that rocky finish, as far as on-field performance is concerned, few defenders dominated as Thomas did during his peak years roaming center field in Seattle's secondary. With most of his production coming in the Pacific Northwest, he finished his 10-year career with 713 combined tackles, 30 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles, three defensive touchdowns, and five All-Pro selections, looking more than Canton-worthy statistically.

Aside from Lynch and Thomas being nominated for the first time, several other former Seahawks landed on the initial list of nominees announced on Wednesday, including running backs Shaun Alexander and Ricky Watters and safety Kam Chancellor.

The only Seahawk to ever win NFL MVP honors, Alexander eclipsed 1,100 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in five consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2005, making him the only player in NFL history to achieve that milestone, capping off that stretch with a rushing title when he put up video game-like numbers with 1,880 rushing yards and a then-record 27 rushing touchdowns in 2005 He's also one of only 10 players to ever score 100 or more rushing touchdowns, putting him in exclusive company amongst other Hall of Famers.

Watters spent a large chunk of his career starring elsewhere, including three seasons with the Eagles and three seasons with the 49ers, but he continued to produce excellent numbers after signing with the Seahawks in 1998. Known for his dual threat capabilities as a runner and receiver, he totaled 3,691 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 155 receptions, and four receiving touchdowns in his three full seasons in Seattle before Alexander replaced him as the bell cow back in 2001.

Now in his second year of eligibility, Chancellor stood out as one of the most imposing defenders of his generation, as the 6-3, 230-pound safety provided rare size and playmaking ability at the position. Renowned for his physicality and bone-jarring hits, he racked up 609 combined tackles, 12 interceptions, and nine forced fumbles in eight NFL seasons, twice earning All-Pro nods and making four Pro Bowl squads in that span before a neck injury forced him into early retirement in 2017.

As the process for selecting the 2025 Hall of Fame class continues, the screening committee will whittle 167 initial nominees down to 50 in mid-October. After that, 25 semi-finalists will be announced later in the fall and 15 finalists will be named prior to Super Bowl LVIX in February 2025.