Seahawks legends Devin Hester, Dwight Freeney among Pro Football Hall of Fame nominees

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 173 modern-era nominees for the Class of 2024, and there are no shortage of Seattle Seahawks legends on the initial list.

Devin Hester, the greatest kick and punt returner the NFL has ever seen, is once again nominated in his third year of eligibility. Ditto fellow Seahawks great Dwight Freeney, who is in his second year of eligibility after his unforgettable run in Seattle.

Other Seahawks greats included in the list are safety Merton Hanks, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, running back Ahman Green, guard Jahri Evans, and defensive back Antoine Winfield. Those last two were so iconic in Seattle that their presence was felt exclusively in preseason.

Now to be serious for a minute, current Seahawks special teams coordinator Larry Izzo is among the nominees, as is former defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. Neither one of them played for the Seahawks, but they’ve both made marks in Seattle as assistant coaches. Former center Max Unger is also a first-time nominee.

The list of 173 will be narrowed down to 25 players in November. Here’s the full list of players, which if we’re being honest is a mixture of genuine HOF caliber players and a whole lot of “Let’s remember some guys.”

Nominees who’ve played at least one game for the Seahawks

Shaun Alexander, RB
Michael Bates, WR/KR
Kam Chancellor - DB
Dwight Freeney, DE
Jeff Feagles, P
Ahman Green, RB
Merton Hanks, DB
Devin Hester, WR/KR
John Kasay, K
Brandon Marshall, WR (first year of eligibility)
Julian Peterson, LB
Eugene Robinson, DB
Max Unger, C (first year of eligibility)
Chris Warren, RB
Ricky Watters, RB
Kevin Williams, DT

Nominees who were only on the Seahawks preseason roster

Jahri Evans, OL
Antoine Winfield, DB

Nominees who have been/are currently on the Seahawks coaching staff

Larry Izzo, LB
Ken Norton Jr, LB

I trust that you can differentiate actual Seahawks legends from those who spent their twilight years here.