Best Seahawks Players of All Time: Top 10 Legends

If you’re watching the Seahawks soon and want the broadcast references to make sense, this best Seahawks players of all time cheat sheet is for you. Below is a quick Top 10 list, a simple ranking rubric, and a few verifiable receipts (Hall of Fame, Ring of Honor, All-Decade teams, and franchise leaderboards). If you’re building a clean game-day corner, you can explore FlagOh at the end—after you’ve got the names and eras locked in.

Who Are The Best Seahawks Players of All Time? 

Let’s start with the part you came for. Here’s a fast Top 10 you can use during the broadcast when legends get mentioned as comparisons.

Top 10 Seahawks Legends

Rank	Player	Pos	Seahawks Era	Why they’re remembered (1 line)	Proof you can reference
1	Walter Jones	LT	1997–2008	The gold standard Seahawks cornerstone at left tackle	Pro Football Hall of Fame + Seahawks retired No. 71
2	Steve Largent	WR	1976–1989	The original franchise icon and WR benchmark	Pro Football Hall of Fame + Seahawks retired No. 80
3	Cortez Kennedy	DT	1990–2000	Interior dominance that changed games from the middle	Pro Football Hall of Fame + Seahawks retired No. 96
4	Kenny Easley	S	1981–1987	A short peak that still ranks among the great safeties	Pro Football Hall of Fame + Seahawks retired No. 45
5	Shaun Alexander	RB	2000–2007	Peak production that still sparks “best RB” debates	2005 NFL MVP + Seahawks franchise records (9,429 rush yds, 112 total TD)
6	Marshawn Lynch	RB	2010–2015	“Beast Mode” wasn’t a nickname—it was the era’s identity	NFL 2010s All-Decade Team + Seahawks Top 50 Player List
7	Russell Wilson	QB	2012–2021	The franchise’s best sustained QB run	Franchise career passing leader: 37,059 yards, 292 TD (Seahawks)
8	Bobby Wagner	LB	2012–2022	A decade-long defensive backbone and leader	Seahawks all-time leading tackler (career) + NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
9	Richard Sherman	CB	2011–2017	Peak press-corner dominance, the face of an identity	NFL 2010s All-Decade Team (DB)
10	Earl Thomas	S	2010–2018	The range that unlocked Seattle’s defense and speed	NFL All-Decade Team (2010s) + Legion of Boom structure piece

Honorable mentions (so it doesn’t feel incomplete): there are always names just outside a Top 10 because their peak was shorter, their prime years were split between teams, or they lack one final “official” signal like an honor/record. That’s exactly where a “Top 25” follow-up post fits in a content cluster.

The Ranking Rules

Here’s the thing about “all-time” lists: the arguments usually aren’t about the player. They’re about the rules people are using without saying them out loud. So I like to make the rules obvious.

When I build an all-time list, I use four lenses:

• Peak: How dominant were their best 1–3 seasons?
• Longevity: How long were they elite as Seahawks?
• Honors: Hall of Fame, team recognition, major awards—anything that signals lasting greatness.
• Seahawks impact: Records, era definition, and whether they became a comparison point.

Quick Scorecard (0–10 each):

• Peak (30%): Best-in-league level for 1–3 seasons
• Longevity as a Seahawk (25%): Elite impact across many Seattle seasons
• Honors (25%): HOF, major awards, All-Decade, multiple All-Pro
• Seahawks impact (20%): Records, era-defining identity, comparison-point legacy

Playoff moments are a tiebreaker, not a core category.

Method note: I score each player on Peak (best 1–3 seasons), Longevity in Seattle, Honors, and Seahawks impact, using playoff moments only as a tiebreaker. For quick verification, check the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Seahawks Ring of Honor, and franchise record leaderboards.

Best practice: compare players to the expectations of their position first. A left tackle can be an all-time great without “box score” stats, and a DB’s greatness can show up in how often quarterbacks avoid throwing their way.

Honors And Records That Back The List

If you’re going to say “all-time,” you want a couple of fast receipts. Honors and records won’t rank players for you—but they keep the conversation from drifting into pure vibes.

Seahawks Honors That Matter

Honor	What it signals	Why it matters for “all-time.”
Ring of Honor	Official franchise recognition	Team-approved legacy, not just fan popularity
Pro Football Hall of Fame	League-level validation	Cross-era credibility, especially for classic players

A simple way to use these: honors don’t decide the ranking, but they tell you which names should never be dismissed casually.

Franchise Records That Set The Benchmarks

Category	What to check	Why it’s useful
Passing records	Career passing yards + passing TD leaders	Anchors “best QB” debates with hard numbers
Receiving records	Career receiving yards leaders	Keeps WR debates fair across eras
Defensive leadership	Tackling leadership, impact by role	Shows consistency and control over time

Records aren’t a cheat code, but they keep the debate anchored to something verifiable.

A Quick Seahawks Starter Pack by Position

This is the section that helps during the game. When the broadcast says, “That reminds me of…,” you won’t feel lost.

Offense Leaders (QB/RB/WR/TE)

Quarterback talk almost always circles back to Russell Wilson because franchise passing benchmarks make his case easy to explain. Running back debates usually split into two very different types of greatness: Shaun Alexander for peak production, Marshawn Lynch for identity and momentum. At wide receiver, Steve Largent is still the historical measuring stick—one of those names you’ll hear even if you didn’t grow up watching that era.

Defense Leaders (DL/LB/DB)

Seattle’s defensive history is one reason the franchise has such a strong identity. Cortez Kennedy represents interior dominance—the kind that ruins play designs before the TV camera even catches it. Bobby Wagner represents long-term control and leadership at linebacker. And when people say “Legion of Boom,” they’re usually talking about a defensive standard that made the league adjust, not just a catchy nickname.

Special Teams And Underrated Picks

Special teams don’t always make Top 10 lists, but they absolutely swing tight games. And if you’re building a blog cluster later, “best Seahawks special teamers ever” is a clean spoke article with its own intent and search audience.

How the GOAT Debate Usually Works

Most fan arguments boil down to one question: Are we ranking by peak, longevity, or playoffs?

Peak vs Longevity vs Playoffs

Lens	What it rewards	What can it miss	Good for…
Peak	Short stretches of dominance	Long-term consistency	“Prime vs prime” debates
Longevity	Sustained elite play	Extreme peaks	“True franchise legacy” debates
Playoffs	Big-game impact	Great players on weaker teams	“Who delivered when it mattered?” debates

Once you name the lens you’re using, the argument usually becomes calmer and more honest.

How To Talk About Clutch Fairly

“Clutch” is real, but it’s easy to misuse. If you want to keep it fair, use three checks: volume (did they play enough big games?), impact (did they create real swing moments?), and repeatability (did it happen across multiple seasons?). That framework keeps your rankings defensible without killing the fun.

How To Use This List During The Game

Here’s a small thing that helps a lot: legend names usually get mentioned in three moments—when someone hits a milestone, when a unit flashes an old Seahawks identity, and when the game gets tight, and the broadcast needs a historical comparison point.

A simple way to translate it in real time:

1. Tag the era (classic, modern, Legion of Boom era).
2. Tag the role (franchise QB, elite LT, interior DT, shutdown CB).
3. Connect it to what’s happening now (is the comparison about style, toughness, coverage, or leadership?).

That’s all you need to stay locked in.

Quick Answers For Common Seahawks Questions

If you’re watching with friends, these are the questions that always come up mid-game. Here are quick answers you can drop into the conversation without overexplaining.

Who are the best Seahawks players of all time?
A strong Top 10 usually mixes cornerstone linemen, iconic skill players, and era-defining defenders. A rubric—peak, longevity, honors, and Seahawks impact—keeps the list consistent.

Who is the greatest Seahawk ever?
There isn’t one universal answer. It depends on whether you value peak dominance, long-term excellence in Seattle, or era-defining influence.

Who is the best Seahawks defensive player of all time?
It often depends on whether you value interior dominance, linebacker leadership, or secondary impact most. Honors and era impact help separate the top cases.

Who is the best Seahawks offensive player of all time?
Most debates revolve around a franchise QB run, a peak RB stretch, or the historical benchmark at WR. Evidence-based criteria help.

Who is the best Seahawks quarterback of all time?
Franchise passing benchmarks make Russell Wilson the modern anchor for the position in Seattle’s history.

Who is the best Seahawks running back of all time?
Shaun Alexander represents peak production and official recognition; Marshawn Lynch represents identity and momentum-shifting moments.

Who is the best Seahawks wide receiver of all time?
Steve Largent remains the classic benchmark because his production still holds up across eras.

How do you choose the top Seahawks players by position?
Pick 1–3 per position group (QB/RB/WR/OL and DL/LB/DB), then build an overall Top 10 using the same rubric so you avoid role bias.

What’s a fair way to rank Seahawks greats?
Use a scorecard: peak (1–3 years), longevity in Seattle, honors, and Seahawks impact. Use playoff impact as a tie-breaker.

Before kickoff, you don’t need to memorize every stat—you just need a clear mental map of the best Seahawks players of all time and what each name represents. Once you have that, the comparisons on the broadcast feel intentional, and the game reads like a story instead of random trivia. If you want to bring that same legendary energy into your setup, explore Seahawks-inspired options from FlagOh and pick a format that fits your space without overdoing it.