The Pro Football Hall of Fame delivered mixed news for Seattle Seahawks fans wondering about Marshawn Lynch’s Hall of Fame chances. Lynch did not make the cut to the 26 modern-era semifinalists for the Class of 2026, while former Seahawks safety Earl Thomas and ex-Seattle defensive tackle Kevin Williams both advanced to the next stage of voting.
The big question 12s are asking: Did Marshawn Lynch make the Hall of Fame semifinalist list for 2026? For this round, the answer is no.
Marshawn Lynch Misses Cut as Earl Thomas Advances
Lynch’s candidacy had taken a promising early step when he advanced from the original pool of 128 modern-era nominees to the trimmed list of 52, joining Thomas and several other Seahawks legends in that group. But when the Hall’s Selection Committee chopped that list in half again, Beast Mode’s name was not among the 26 players who survived.
Running back was always going to be a tough path. Of the eight running backs on the 52-man list — a group that included Lynch, fellow Seahawks great Ricky Watters and others — only Frank Gore and Fred Taylor remain in the semifinalist field. Given how slowly the Hall has moved on modern running backs and how crowded the position is, many analysts have already framed Lynch’s road to Canton as an uphill climb.
Thomas, meanwhile, is firmly in the mix. The former All-Pro safety has now reached the semifinalist stage in back-to-back years and is one of just three defensive backs on the 2026 list, joined by Rodney Harrison and Darren Woodson. Thomas’ resume includes a Super Bowl ring, multiple first-team All-Pro nods and a spot on the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, giving the Legion of Boom its clearest current path to Canton.
Williams, a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro who spent the 2014 season anchoring Seattle’s defensive line on another Super Bowl run, is also a first-time semifinalist after years of dominance in Minnesota.
What It Means for the Seahawks, Lynch & the Legion of Boom
For Seahawks fans, the headline is simple: Beast Mode was cut; the Legion of Boom is still alive in this cycle.
Thomas has a real chance to become the first member of that iconic defense to reach the Hall of Fame, which would give Seattle another modern-era headliner alongside Steve Largent, Walter Jones and Kenny Easley. If he advances to the final 15, the national conversation will likely shift to how soon the rest of the Legion — Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and others — could follow once they’re fully eligible.
Lynch’s miss will feel like a brutal snub to a fan base that watched him power the franchise’s most dominant era, from the “Beast Quake” to the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVIII. His career numbers — over 10,000 rushing yards, 85 rushing touchdowns and a string of Pro Bowls and All-Pro honors — remain strong enough to keep him in the discussion in future years, but this ballot shows just how crowded the position is.
The good news for Lynch: failing to reach the semifinalist cut in a given year does not end a candidacy. Modern-era players can cycle back into the conversation as voting dynamics and position logjams shift.
Hall of Fame Timeline, Next Steps & Seahawks Context
- The Hall of Fame Selection Committee will now vote again to reduce the 26 modern-era semifinalists to 15 finalists later this year.
- From there, between four and eight total enshrinees — including modern players, seniors, a coach and a contributor — will be selected for the Class of 2026.
- The Class of 2026 will be announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco in February before enshrinement in Canton next August.
For Seattle, the 2026 cycle now becomes all about Earl Thomas and, to a lesser extent, Kevin Williams. If Thomas can punch through to the finalist stage — and eventually to a gold jacket — he’d give the Legion of Boom the Hall of Fame recognition many 12s believe it has long deserved, even as Marshawn Lynch’s wait for Canton just got a little longer.
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