Seattle Seahawks: Which Super Bowl winners will make Hall of Fame?

The 2013 Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII in stunning fashion. Now that the nucleus of that team is dispersing, let’s look back and see what players set themselves up with good chances to make the Hall of Fame.

The 2013 Seattle Seahawks team was so good that people wondered if they would become a dynasty. That never happened, but the team had so many good players who are now entering the later half of their NFL careers.

It seems fitting that some of them will earn the highest individual achievement in the sport’s history and be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But not everyone will be getting in, the Hall of Fame only takes the best of the best. Of course, everyone thinks of the Legion of Boom defense when they think of the 2013 Seahawks, but the offense had some players worthy of discussion too.

Now, let’s look at what players from the team will have their legacies preserved in Canton forever.

Not entering the Hall of Fame

To start this off, let’s clear out a few names. There are some players from the 2013 squad that have had good NFL careers, and even made some Pro Bowls, but don’t really merit any long discussion in this article.

Left tackle Russell Okung and center Max Unger have both made multiple Pro Bowls. but they aren’t players anyone should expect to see in Canton anytime soon. Wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate have also made Pro Bowls, but they also don’t have the dominance or production of Hall of Fame players. Same goes for linebacker K.J. Wright.

Unlikely to make the Hall of Fame

Michael Bennett has undeniably been one of the best defensive ends in the league over the last few years. He had made the last three Pro Bowls after all. But that’s about where the case ends for Bennett. After nine seasons in the NFL, seven where he played significant snaps, he has 54 sacks and 293 combined tackles. 39 of those sacks have come in his five years with the Seahawks.

Bennett is now on the Philadelphia Eagles, but could be facing suspension because of off the field issues. He will turn 33 during the 2018 season. With his best years behind him and limited statistics and accolades, Bennett is a long shot for the Hall of Fame.

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Kam Chancellor‘s situation is different from Bennett. Chancellor is one of the 30 best safeties in NFL history and he has a playing style that is much more prominent and memorable than Bennett’s. I’m talking about his old fashioned, de-cleating hits. Very few players in the modern NFL can hit anywhere near as hard as Chancellor and he’ll be remembered because of that.

He’s made four Pro Bowls and was twice named a Second Team All-Pro member. He has 12 interceptions and just over 600 combines tackles in his eight years in the NFL. Unfortunately, his career might be coming to an end because of a neck injury. Even though he’ll most likely not be enshrined in Canton, Chancellor will be remembered for years to come.

Résumés in need of improvement

Outside of Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner is the best middle linebacker in the NFL. In just six seasons, he has 778 combined tackles, 15.5 sacks, and eight interceptions. His productive play has earned him trips to four Pro Bowls and three First Team All-Pro selections. He seems like he’s on the right path, but he needs to continue his production for another four to six seasons to secure a place among the NFL greats. Right now, it seems like he will be able to do that. After all, he’s just going to be turning 28 during the 2018 season.

For a few years Richard Sherman was the best cornerback in the game. That already helps his case a lot and gives him something that Wagner and most of his teammates have never had. Still, Sherman has been to just four Pro Bowls, although he should have been to another one in 2012, and had been a First Team All-Pro member three times.

While those accolades combined with his 32 interceptions are impressive, fellow cornerback Patrick Peterson has been to seven Pro Bowls in the same time span. Recent Hall of Fame inductee, Aeneas Williams, went to eight Pro Bowls and was also a three-time First Team All-Pro. It’s not that what Sherman has done isn’t great, it’s that he just needs to bring in some more awards to compete with other players vying for the same spot in Canton.

It was tempting to put Russell Wilson in the next category, but he still has a lot to achieve in his career. The six years NFL veteran has made four Pro Bowls and was an MVP candidate for most of 2017. He does more for his team than anyone outside of Aaron Rodgers. With little protection from his offensive line and an invisible run game since Marshawn Lynch left, Wilson has been left to carry the Seahawks offense.

He has just over 22,000 passing yards to go along with 161 passing touchdowns, 3,275 rushing yards, and 16 rushing touchdowns. Wilson will already be turning 30 during the 2018 NFL season, but his agility hasn’t shown signs of dropping off. Another solid four years of production should seal the deal for the NFL’s best scrambling quarterback.

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Will soon enter football immortality

After Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu retired, Earl Thomas took over as the best safety in football. The 29-year old already has been to six Pro Bowls and has been a First Team All-Pro three times in his eight years in the league. He also had 25 interceptions, over 60 pass defensed, and 642 combined tackles during that time. It’s true, a couple more productive seasons would do wonders for his Hall of Fame chances, but he’s the best safety of his generation. Thomas will be enshrined into football immortality sooner or later.

Lynch seems like a no-brainer. He has over 10,000 career rushing yards and over 12,000 yards from scrimmage to go along with a combined 90 rushing and receiving touchdowns. For years Lynch was the heart of the Seahawks offense and was one of the most exciting runners in the game, only trailing Adrian Peterson in his peak. Beast Mode’s aggressive, destructive running style is impossible to forget. He’s also responsible for authoring the greatest run in NFL history, the Beast Quake.