Top 100 Seahawks Countdown: No. 20-11
Over the course of 44 seasons, the Seahawks have boasted plenty of star power on offense, defense, and special teams. But which players stand out as the best of the best in franchise history?
To take part in the festivities, each member of the Seahawk Maven writing staff assembled their own individual rankings for the top 100 players in Seahawks history.
After compiling averages from all seven lists, who made the final cut? Continuing our countdown, here’s players No. 20 through 11 with highest ranking, lowest ranking, and analysis courtesy of our writing staff.
20. Chad Brown, Linebacker
Seahawks Tenure: 1997-2004
Highest Ranking: 13
Lowest Ranking: 35
Writer’s Take: In the majority of cases, a player does not live up to a lucrative free agent contract. But when it comes to Brown, he signed a five-year, $28.5 million contract coming from Pittsburgh to Seattle and he was worth every penny. In his first season with the Seahawks, the linebacker racked up 104 tackles with 6.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries, returning two for touchdowns. The Colorado alum took his game to a whole new level in 1998, amassing 149 tackles with 7.5 sacks and an interception, garnering his second career Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections, becoming one of just four Seahawks linebackers in franchise history to earn First-Team All-Pro distinction. He would earn another Pro Bowl nod in 1999 and finished his eight-year stint in Seattle with 743 tackles and 48.0 sacks, the latter remaining the fifth best mark in franchise history. -Nick Lee
19. Doug Baldwin, Receiver
Seahawks Tenure: 2011-2018
Highest Ranking: 17
Lowest Ranking: 27
Writer’s Take: A chip on the shoulder can be an athlete's greatest motivation - for "Angry Doug" Baldwin, that chip carried him far beyond undrafted expectations to becoming one of Seattle's greatest receivers of all time. A Stanford teammate of Richard Sherman, Baldwin went undrafted in 2011 and was singled out by Seahawks general manager John Schneider, who penned a personal letter to him addressing his overlooked talent and potential. Once he donned the blue and green, he became Tarvaris Jackson's preferred target, a shocking development for an undrafted rookie receiver. A year later, Russell Wilson stepped into the quarterback role and the rest was Seahawks history. In eight seasons, Baldwin was renowned for his soft hands and ability to break ankles as a savvy route runner, becoming the first Seahawks receiver to surpass 1,000 yards in close to a decade. After scoring a league-best 14 receiving touchdowns in 2015, he surpassed 1,000 yards again in 2016 and earned the first of back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances. When Baldwin retired in 2019, he left a legacy that rivals that of his lauded 2011 draft cohorts in A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Randall Cobb. -Aryanna Prasad
18. Curt Warner, Running Back
Seahawks Tenure: 1983-1989
Highest Ranking: 18
Lowest Ranking: 22
Writer’s Take: It didn't take long for Warner to make a name for himself in Seattle and across the NFL landscape. After being selected third overall in the historic 1983 NFL Draft, the former Penn State star rushed for 1,449 yards and 13 touchdowns as a rookie and made his first Pro Bowl squad as a result. A torn ACL cost him most of his second season, but he rebounded to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in three of his next four seasons, including a career-high 1,481 yards in 1986. He also surpassed double digit touchdowns two additional times in 1986 and 1988. Warner rushed for 6,705 yards in his seven seasons with Seattle, a number that would likely have pushed to 8,000 yards if he hadn't missed 15 games in 1984 and struggled with injuries throughout his career. More than three decades after his retirement, Warner still ranks third in franchise history in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. -Colby Patnode
17. Eugene Robinson, Safety
Seahawks Tenure: 1985-1995
Highest Ranking: 12
Lowest Ranking: 24
Writer’s Take: Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Colgate in 1985, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Robinson made his mark from the outset, intercepting two passes as a reserve during his rookie season. Over the next 10 seasons, he displayed impressive durability by starting 162 out of Seattle’s 166 regular season games during that span, intercepting three or more passes eight different times and surpassing the 100-tackle milestone four times. Though the Seahawks won eight combined games during the 1992 and 1993 seasons, Robinson made the Pro Bowl both years and garnered Second-Team All-Pro honors following a dominant 1993 campaign in which he made 11 tackles, intercepted a league-best nine passes, and forced three fumbles. Thanks to his longevity and consistent excellence, he ranks second all-time in franchise history for tackles and interceptions. On better teams, Robinson probably becomes a perennial All-Pro candidate and those who saw him play know he played at a Hall of Fame level for much of his career. -Corbin Smith
16. Matt Hasselback, Quarterback
Seahawks Tenure: 2001-2010
Highest Ranking: 14
Lowest Ranking: 23
Writer’s Take: As one of the savviest moves made by Seattle's front office, trading for Matt Hasselbeck helped lead the Seahawks to the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance. Mike Holmgren knew Hasselbeck after coaching the 1998 sixth-round pick in Green Bay, as he served as a backup for Brett Favre. By 2001, Holmgren had moved on from Green Bay to Seattle and acquired Hasselbeck, naming him the starter out of training camp. Bouncing back from the infamous "we want the ball and we're gonna score" debacle against his former team in the 2003 playoffs, the former Boston College standout became one of Seattle's most decorated passers. Over the next five seasons, he threw for 17,000 yards, threw 118 touchdown passes, and appeared in three Pro Bowls. With him at the helm, the Seahawks emerged as one of the NFL's best offensive teams, using their scoring prowess to get to the Super Bowl in 2005 and advance to the Divisional Round each of the next two seasons. When Hasselbeck departed Seattle for Tennessee in 2011, he left holding the franchise record for passing yards and sat second behind Dave Krieg for passing touchdowns. He currently ranks second and third in those two categories respectively. -Aryanna Prasad
15. Joe Nash, Defensive Tackle
Seahawks Tenure: 1982-1996
Highest Ranking: 11
Lowest Ranking: 24
Writer’s Take: While the Seahawks have featured plenty of talented defensive linemen since their inaugural season in 1976, few have meant more to their franchise than Nash, who spent 15 seasons in the Pacific Northwest. Signing with Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 1982, the Boston College product was limited to a reserve role through his first two seasons, playing in 23 of the team’s 32 regular season games and producing 75 tackles and 4.0 sacks. Picking up where he left off during the 1983 postseason, when he started all three playoff games, Nash controlled a starting role over the next two seasons while generating 169 tackles, 16.0 sacks, and three fumble recoveries, earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 1984. Despite his inconsistent production over his final 11 seasons in Seattle, the one-time Pro Bowler was still able to rack up 535 tackles, 27.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries, and one interception before retiring in 1997. –Thomas Hall
14. Steve Hutchinson, Guard
Seahawks Tenure: 2001-2005
Highest Ranking: 6
Lowest Ranking: 25
Writer’s Take: After starring at Michigan, Hutchinson was installed as a day one starter at left guard for the Seahawks and quickly surfaced as one of the premier interior blockers in the NFL. After an injury-shortened 2002 season, he made three consecutive Pro Bowls alongside tackle Walter Jones and garnered First-Team All-Pro recognition in 2003 and 2005. He proved instrumental in helping star running back Shaun Alexander rush for over 1,000 yards in five straight seasons, including 1,880 during his MVP season in 2005. Equally adept at mauling opponents as a run blocker and stone walling even the best interior rushers in pass protection, the 6-foot-5, 313-pound Hutchinson played a starring role guiding Seattle to its first Super Bowl in 2005. Thanks to the "poison pill" debacle the following offseason after the Seahawks inexplicably gave him the transition tag, he signed with the Vikings, where he earned three more First-Team All-Pro honors during his Hall of Fame career. -Corbin Smith
13. Kam Chancellor, Safety
Seahawks Tenure: 2010-2017
Highest Ranking: 12
Lowest Ranking: 17
Writer’s Take: The alpha dog among alpha dogs in the vaunted "Legion of Boom" defense, Chancellor served as the enforcer in arguably the greatest defense in NFL history. In 109 games played with Seattle, the former fifth-round pick out of Virginia Tech intercepted 12 passes and racked up 607 total tackles, nine forced fumbles, and 44 passes defensed, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors twice. But it's not the numbers fans will remember this four-time Pro Bowler for. It will be the many memorable moments provided by "Bam Bam," including the crushing hit to 49ers tight end Vernon Davis in 2012, the tone-setting destruction of Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas in Super Bowl XLVIII, and his long interception returned for a touchdown against Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Chancellor was the heart and soul of the Legion of Boom and a fantastic player who left a mark on the franchise few others can match. -Colby Patnode
12. Dave Brown, Cornerback
Seahawks Tenure: 1976-1986
Highest Ranking: 11
Lowest Ranking: 15
Writer’s Take: Despite the recent dominance of Seattle's defense with All-Pro players all over the “Legion of Boom” secondary, Brown remains comfortably atop the franchise’s all-time interceptions list with 50. And yet, stunningly, Seattle’s first true shutdown corner in franchise history only earned one trip to the Pro Bowl. In 11 seasons as a Seahawk, he posted four or more interceptions eight times, returned a franchise-best five picks for defensive touchdowns, and also recovered 12 fumbles. His finest season came in 1984 for a 12-win Seahawks squad when he picked off a career-best eight passes on the way to his lone Pro Bowl selection. As one of the original members of the Seahawks franchise, he was an integral part in helping the team become competitive and eventually reach the playoffs during the 1983 and 1984 seasons. -Nick Lee
11. Shaun Alexander, Running Back
Seahawks Tenure: 2000-2007
Highest Ranking: 9
Lowest Ranking: 14
Writer’s Take: Few running backs in the NFL had the five-year peak that Alexander did in Seattle from 2001 to 2005. Taken in the first round of the 2000 draft, Alexander validated his lofty draft status in his second season, racking up 1,318 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, which led the NFL. The Alabama product then rattled off five straight seasons of at least 1,100 rushing yards with no less than 14 touchdowns, earning three Pro Bowl nods and a First-Team All-Pro selection. During Seattle's run to an NFC championship and Super Bowl appearance in 2005, Alexander rewrote franchise and NFL record books with 1,880 rushing yards and an NFL-record 28 touchdowns, including one via the air, on his way to winning MVP. While Marshawn Lynch gets most of the love as Seattle's best running back ever, Alexander makes a strong case with his MVP award and as the franchise's all-time rushing yards and touchdowns leader. His single-season marks will likely never be touched by a Seahawks running back again and a strong argument can be made he's too low on these rankings. -Nick Lee
Who else made the cut in our Top 100 Seahawks Countdown? Check out earlier players on our annual rankings below.
