Former Seahawks Among Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists

Steve Hutchinson Edgerrin James

Getty Former Seahawks Edgerrin James and Steve Hutchinson were named as finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Two former Seattle Seahawks players headline the list of 2020 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson and Edgerrin James are among the 15 players who are finalists to make the Hall of Fame and the inductees will be announced on the eve of the 2020 Super Bowl.

Hutchinson was drafted by the Seahawks with the No. 17 pick in the 2001 NFL draft and played his first five seasons in Seattle. James’ tenure lasted less than a year as he played his final NFL season with the Seahawks in 2009. The running back played in seven games for the Seahawks rushing for 125 yards while averaging 2.7 yards per carry before being released by the team mid-season.

Here are the additional finalists for the 2020 class: Troy Palamalu, Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt, John Lynch, Richard Seymour, Steve Atwater, Zach Thomas, Isaac Bruce, Leroy Butler, Tony Boselli, Alan Faneca, Bryant Young and Sam Mills.


Hutchinson Missed Out on the Pro Football Hall of Fame the Last 2 Years

Hutchinson was also named as a finalist in 2018 and 2019 but ultimately missed the cut. The Seahawks released a statement on Hutchinson prior to the 2019 announcement.

“The best guard in @Seahawks history and one of the most dominant guards in @NFL history, Steve Hutchinson, is up for the @ProFootballHOF this weekend. Hutch was a seven-time All-Pro, a seven-time Pro Bowler and named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s,” the Seahawks tweeted.

Hutchinson spoke with the Pioneer Press about the disappointment of missing the cut the last two years and the potential of earning the honor in 2020.

“It’s been a really rough two years, to be honest with you, not getting that knock on the door,’’ Hutchinson told the Pioneer Press in December. “It’s something that would be really dear to me. I haven’t won a Super Bowl. I had a lot of individual accolades with all-pro and all-decade (in the 2000s), Pro Bowls, but (making the hall of fame) would give closure to my career. … To get that gold jacket, it’s kind of the last step…It would be extra special to get in this year because I’m from South Florida. It would be fitting for me for it to happen where it all kind of started.’’


Hutchinson Left the Seahawks for the Vikings in 2006

Hutchinson left the Seahawks via free agency by signing with the Vikings in 2006. The former NFL guard admitted he was torn because he knew Seattle would be unable to match the Vikings’ offer.

“There were ongoing negotiations all year long, and we could never even get close,’’ Hutchinson explained to the Pioneer Press. “They had the option at the tag deadline to transition me, as opposed to franchise tagging me, which left the door open for me to go to another team with Seattle not getting any compensation…The Vikings absolutely knew Seattle couldn’t match it. I was apprehensive at first because I just knew what it would do to Seattle and I didn’t want them to mistake me as being purposely malicious because I had no reason to be malicious to that organization.”