5 former Seahawks named to ESPN's All Quarter Century team
ESPN recently unveiled their All Quarter Century team: a list of who they consider to be the best NFL players from the year 2000 to present day. Their goal was to make a single team of the best to take the field during the first quarter of the 21st century. Naturally, more than a couple Seattle Seahawks made the list. Some qualifications ESPN made was players who began their careers in the 1990's were still eligible, but production from the year 2000 onward was the only criteria that would be counted. ESPN also allowed a "practice squad" player who missed the cut by their criteria.
Those who did make the cut who played for the Seattle Seahawks are as follows:
Steve Hutchinson (Seahawks 2001-2005) - second out of two left guards
Bobby Wagner (Seahawks 2012-21, 2023) - second out of five linebackers
Richard Sherman (Seahawks 2011-2017) - fourth out of five cornerbacks
Earl Thomas III (Seahawks 2010-2018) - fourth out of four safeties
Devin Hester (Seahawks 2016) - one out of one return specialists
Naturally, seeing Bobby Wagner, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas III make the list is unsurprising. They were the faces of the Legion of Boom, one of the greatest defenses of all time. A case could certainly be made Kam Chancellor should have been on it as well, considering he brought the boom to the LOB, but the rest of the safeties list was already crowded with Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, with Charles Woodson on the practice squad.
However, I will outright say Walter Jones and Marshawn Lynch being left off are two inexcusable snubs. Walter Jones was a first ballot Hall of Famer and one of the best left tackles of all time. In 5,500 passing downs, Jones only surrendered 23 sacks and was penalized for holding nine times. His 4x All-Pro count matches Trent Williams, who did make the cut. Jones was mentioned as a practice squad player, but the roles should have been reversed.
As for Marshawn Lynch, his 10,413 rushing yards and 94 all-purpose touchdowns are more than Priest Holmes, as well as having the same number of Super Bowl rings. Lynch is also a member of the Hall of Fame's All-Decade team of the 2010's, something neither Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry can say at the moment... nor do either men have championship rings.
Finally... it is objectively amusing to see Devin Hester counted among the Seahawks after spending literally only two games with them during the 2016 postseason. But he is officially listed among Seattle's Hall of Famers so he does technically count!
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