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Seahawks Legends Earl Thomas & Ricky Watters Named Semifinalists For Pro Football Hall of Fame

Seahawks Earl Thomas and Ricky Watters are among the 25 modern-era semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.

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Earl Thomas, a key part of the Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning team and one of the best safeties of his era, is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025, and one of six first-year eligible players named a semifinalist.

Another Seahawks Legend, running back Ricky Watters, was also named a semifinalist, his fifth time making it to the semifinalist stage of the selection process. Four Seahawks Legends who were among the final 50 players under consideration for next year's class did not advance to the semifinalist round: running backs Marshawn Lynch and Shaun Alexander, safety Kam Chancellor and defensive tackle Kevin Williams.

Thomas, a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, was a six-time Pro-Bowler and was named first-team All-Pro three times and second-team All-Pro twice during his nine seasons in Seattle, and was also a Pro-Bowl selection in his one season in Baltimore in 2019. Over 10 seasons, Thomas had 713 tackles, 30 interceptions and 71 passes defensed, and more important than any stat he put up, his range and instincts made it all but impossible for teams to throw deep passes in the middle of the field throughout his time in Seattle. And thanks in no small part to Thomas' play, the Seahawks became the only team in the Super Bowl era to lead the NFL in scoring defense for four straight seasons, doing so from 2012 to 2015.

"It's a crucial aspect," Then Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Thomas’ play in 2014. "He plays a lot of deep-middle responsibility, and people don't appreciate that (opponents) don't throw post routes for touchdowns on us, and how many times they don't throw seam routes for touchdowns on us. That happens all the time every single day in football, and we're great at taking care of that."

Other first-year eligible players to make the semifinal round along with Thomas are linebacker Luke Kuechly, quarterback Eli Manning, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, kicker Adam Vinatieri and guard Marshal Yanda.

Watters, who spent is final four seasons in Seattle after previously playing for the 49ers and Eagles, was a five-time Pro-Bowl selection, and rushed for 10,643 yards and 78 touchdowns in 10 seasons, adding 467 receptions for 4,248 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns. Watters rushed for at least 1,100 yards in six straight seasons, including his first three in Seattle in which he eclipsed 1,200 yards in 1998, 1999 and 2000 before injuries limited him to just five games in 2001, his final season in the NFL.

The next step in the selection process will be reducing the list of modern-era players to 15 finalists later this year. Those finalists, along with finalists in the Seniors and Coach and Contributor categories will be announced in December, with the Selection Committing voting on the Hall of Fame Class of 25 in February advance of Super Bowl LIX.

Go behind the scenes with team photographer Rod Mar as he shares moments from the Seahawks' Week 11 last second win over the division rival 49ers.

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