Huard: Why Seahawks legends’ HOF cases just got a boost

Feb 10, 2025, 1:17 PM | Updated: 3:39 pm

Seattle Sports

From a Seattle Seahawks perspective, it was no doubt a disappointment that former head coach Mike Holmgren wasn’t among the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees announced last Thursday.

Huard: Two signs Geno Smith will be Seattle Seahawks QB in 2025

But according to former NFL quarterback Brock Huard, there was one positive Seahawks-related takeaway from this year’s selections. As Huard explained, it’s a good sign for some future Seahawks that former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe was voted in.

Why is that?

Sharpe played just seven seasons in the NFL, which is particularly short by Hall of Fame standards. But during those seven seasons, he was utterly dominant. In some ways, it’s a similar dynamic for former Seahawks greats Marshawn Lynch and Earl Thomas – who likely will be more on the fence than projected first-ballot Seahawks inductees Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner.

“When you look at Sterling Sharpe, (he had) a shortened career with a neck injury,” Huard said during Friday’s Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports Brock and Salk. “But my goodness gracious … (he had) a burst of greatness.

“So when I spin this as a positive to the Seahawks – Marshawn Lynch? A burst of greatness. Earl Thomas? A burst of greatness. Did Earl do it for 14 years like Eric Allen? Did they do it for 16 years like Antonio Gates? No. But they had a window there where they were the best in the league – bona-fide difference makers.”

Sharpe, a three-time first-team All-Pro, racked up 8,134 receiving yards and 65 touchdown catches during his seven-year career with the Packers. Over that span, he ranked third in the NFL in receiving yards and second in TD catches, trailing all-time great Jerry Rice in both categories.

How does that compare with Lynch and Thomas?

Lynch received just one first-team All-Pro selection but had a dominant four-year peak in Seattle from 2011 through 2014. Over that four-year span, he rushed for a league-high 5,357 yards and 68 touchdowns – the latter of which was 14 more than any other player in the league during that time. He also had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Buffalo Bills in 2007 and 2008.

Thomas, a three-time first-team All-Pro, totaled 30 interceptions, 71 pass breakups and 12 forced fumbles over his decade-long career from 2010 through 2019. He ranked third in the league in interceptions over that span.

“Sterling Sharpe’s ceiling was off the charts,” Huard said. “Obviously, didn’t stay there for 10, 12, 15 years like a lot of other great Hall of Famers. But I think that’s the positive for Earl (and) Marshawn. Their ceiling of greatness was off the charts. And I’ll spin that as a positive that they’ll be future Hall of Famers too.”

Listen to the full Blue 88 segment with Brock Huard at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.