Seattle Seahawks: 15 greatest players in franchise history

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch played with Seattle from 2010 through 2015, and in 2019

So I mentioned in the previous slide that one running back that won't actually come close to Alexnader's raw statistics will rank above Alexander. That is Marshawn Lynch. Lynch was much more than just a guy quarterback Russell Wilson would turn and hand the ball to. Lynch transformed the offensive identity of the Seahawks when the team absolutely needed it to be changed. Lynch was aggressive and had no fear and the rest of the team picked up on this.

Lynch is fourth all-time for Seattle in rushing yards (6,381) but he also played at least 10 fewer games than the three running backs ranked above him (Alexander is first by quite a distance with 9,429 yards but he played in 36 more games with Seattle than Lynch). Lynch is second in rushing touchdowns with 58. He also is second in rushing yards per game (76.9).

Between 2011 and 2015, Lynch ran for at least 1,204 yards a season with Seattle. He ran for double-digit touchdowns in each of those seasons as well. In 2013 and 2014, Lynch led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (12 and 13, respectively). He was a first-team All-Pro in 2012, and he was second-team All-Pro in 2014. He made the Pro each year between 2011 and 2015.

But Lynch ranks 11th overall here, and a notch above Alexander simply for reasons that cannot be measured in statistics. He would talk to anyone in the locker room - long-snapper to quarterback - and treat everyone the same. Players respected Beast Mode and wanted to play hard with him. In Seattle's best seasons of the early 2010s, Lynch was the identity of the offense, not the quarterback.