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The Best Seahawks Players By Jersey Number: 1-20

Picking the best player to wear every number in Seahawks history.

The best Seahawks players by jersey numbers 1-20.
The best Seahawks players by jersey numbers 1-20.

The Seahawks recently assigned jersey numbers to rookies and other newcomers, which, combined with the fact that we're all stuck at home with nothing else to do, makes this a great time to take a trip down memory lane and determine who is the best player in Seahawks history to wear every number from 1 to 99.

Some choices were really easy, such as Seattle's four numbers retired for the Hall of Fame players who wore them: Steve Largent (80), Walter Jones (71), Cortez Kennedy (96) and Kenny Easley (45). Other numbers were less obvious—while 11 is an iconic number for the neighboring Mariners, no Seahawk past or present has exactly put his stamp on it. And one number, 79, even has a fun familial tie to it.

Is this a particularly original idea? Hardly. But what else do we have to do these days? With that ringing endorsement out of the way, here is the far-from-definitive definitive list of the best Seahawks players from 1-20. Check back Tuesday for numbers 21-40.

Seahawks.com's John Boyle takes a look at the best player in Seahawks history to wear uniform numbers 1-20.

1: QB Warren Moon

Moon built much of his Hall of Fame resume with the Houston Oilers, but he was still pretty darn good in his short stint with the Seahawks, making the Pro Bowl as a 41-year-old when he threw for 3,678 yards and 25 touchdowns in 1997. Also worth a mention is kicker Efren Herrera, who became something of a cult hero due to the trick plays the Jack Patera-era was known to run.

2: K Todd Peterson

Seattle's kicker from 1995-1999, Peterson made 81.8 percent of his field goals and every extra point in five seasons with the Seahawks, and was also the team's nominee for the NFL's Man of the Year Award (since named for Walter Payton) in 1996.

3: QB Russell Wilson

I mean, do we need to explain this pick? Probably not, but if you really need a reason, how about that he's the franchise leader in darn near every passing category, one of the best quarterbacks of his era, a Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro-Bowler who has never missed a game, and who does seemingly endless good work in the community.

4: K Stephen/Steven Hauschka

Michael Dickson may be able to claim this honor soon, but for now Hauschka, the Seahawks' kicker in two Super Bowl seasons, is the clear choice. Bonus points for being too nice to tell anyone that his first name was spelled wrong for a significant portion of his NFL career.

5: P Ruben Rodriguez

Not a lot of prolific No. 5s in team history, but Rodriguez, the team's punter from 1987-1989, had a solid career, including a rookie season in which he averaged 40.0 yards per punt and had 17 punts downed inside the 20 compared to just five touchbacks. Seattle's current No. 5, Jason Myers, could lay claim to this spot with a couple more good seasons.

6: QB Charlie Whitehurst

Whitehurst, who started four games in two seasons with the Seahawks, is the pretty clear choice here, which shows how unpopular a number this has been in franchise history. While Whitehurst's Seahawks tenure was brief, he did play a big role in a very meaningful game, starting for an injured Matt Hasselbeck in the 2010 Week 17 win over the Rams that gave the Seahawks their first NFC West title under Pete Carroll and John Schneider. Runner up for this number is Charlie Whitehurst's hair.

7: QB Jon Kitna

The pride of Central Washington University had a heck of a career after going undrafted in 1996, starting 124 games for Seattle, Cincinnati, Detroit and Dallas over the course of 14 seasons. With the Seahawks, Kitna took over the starting role in 1999 and helped lead the Seahawks to their first postseason berth in 11 seasons. Special mention to Tarvaris Jackson as well, Seattle's starting quarterback in 2011 and backup to Russell Wilson from 2013-2015.

8: QB Matt Hasselbeck

Acquired in a trade with Green Bay, Hasselbeck became the most successful quarterback in franchise history prior to Wilson's arrival, was a three-time Pro-Bowler, and led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl in 2005.

9: P Jon Ryan

This number presented the toughest choice thus far, and a very good argument can be made for Norm Johnson, who was an All-Pro in 1984. Ryan just edges out Johnson, however, not just for his 10-year Seahawks career as a darn good punter, but because without his touchdown pass Garry Gilliam in the NFC championship game, the Seahawks very well might not have joined the Patriots as one of two teams to play in back-to-back Super Bowl this century.

10: QB Jim Zorn

Another easy choice, Zorn was Seattle's first starting quarterback and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 1978. A member of the Seahawks Ring of Honor, Zorn, along with Steve Largent, helped lead the Seahawks to their first winning seasons while also boasting a Top 8 scoring offense for three straight seasons from 1977-1979.

11: WR Deon Butler

If iconic moments are your thing, then Percy Harvin is the choice here for his kick return touchdown to open the second half of Super Bowl XLVIII, but Deon Butler, an eight-game starter in 2010, is the choice instead for a longer Seahawks career. This would have all been easier if Jermaine Kearse had kept No. 11, which he wore in 2012, and Doug Baldwin had kept No. 15, making the choice a lot easier at No. 89.

12: QB Sam Adkins

Zorn's backup for four seasons, Adkins is better known by most for his work in broadcasting after his playing career, but he's the choice here because, well, he's the only player in team history to wear No. 12, which was retired in 1984 in honor of the NFL's loudest fans. OK, Adkins isn't technically not the only player to wear it… Zorn wore it briefly in 1979 before switching back to 10.

Quarterback Jim Zorn looks to the sidelines after having his No. 10 jersey ripped in half vs. San Diego in 1979. Zorn was forced to wear the uniform of No. 12, backup QB Sam Adkins, for the remainder of the game. (Corky Trewin/Seattle Seahawks)
Quarterback Jim Zorn looks to the sidelines after having his No. 10 jersey ripped in half vs. San Diego in 1979. Zorn was forced to wear the uniform of No. 12, backup QB Sam Adkins, for the remainder of the game. (Corky Trewin/Seattle Seahawks)

13: WR Chris Matthews

Perhaps it's not surprising that only seven players have worn this number, considered by many to be unlucky, none of whom lasted more than two seasons with the Seahawks. Matthews is the pick here not for longevity or sustained success, but for an incredibly memorable two-game stretch in which he recovered an onside kick to help win the 2014 NFC Championship game, then had four catches for 109 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIX.

14: P Rick Tuten

The nickname "Bootin' Tuten" is almost enough for inclusion on this list regardless of his on-field accomplishments, but Tuten also had a great seven-year career with Seattle, earning Pro-Bowl honors in 1994 and setting multiple franchise records. If this list is made again in a few more years, however, DK Metcalf may very well be the choice.

15: WR Jermaine Kearse

The ultimate local-kid-makes-good story, Kearse went from Lakes High to the University of Washington to the player responsible for some of the biggest catches in Seahawks history, including the go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown in one NFC Championship game, and the walk-off touchdown in overtime a year later. Again, if Baldwin had stuck with this number he wore as a rookie, and Kearse stayed with 11, the pick at No. 89 would have been a lot easier.

16: WR Tyler Lockett

Lockett began his career as an All-Pro returner who was also a factor on offense, and over the past two seasons he has proven to be a truly elite receiver. Wilson had a perfect passer rating when targeting Lockett in 2018, and last year Lockett had career highs with 82 catches for 1,057 yards despite battling through illness and injuries for multiple weeks.

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17: QB Dave Krieg

Another member of the Seahawks Ring of Honor, Krieg helped lead the Seahawks to their first postseason berth and to four playoff appearances in six years from 1983 to 1988. Until Russell Wilson broke them recently, Krieg held the career and single-season franchise records for touchdown passes.

18: WR Sidney Rice

One of the first big free-agent signings under Pete Carroll and John Schneider, Rice was a significant part of Seattle's offense for two-plus seasons before injuries took their toll, including a 2012 season in which he was one of the top targets for a rookie Russell Wilson, catching 50 passes for 748 yards and seven touchdowns.

19: WR Bryan Walters

Another number without a rich history in Seattle. Tanner McEvoy actually had slightly better production as a receiver, but Walters spent 2014 as Seattle's primary punt returner, and while he didn't have a lot in the way of big returns, he took care of the ball, which is a very big deal to Pete Carroll, especially at that position.

20: CB Terry Taylor

Running back Maurice Morris or safety Jay Bellamy would be good options here as well, but Taylor, who played in secondary that also included the likes of Kenny Easley and Dave Brown, gets the slight nod here. In five seasons with the Seahawks—he returned for a sixth in 1994—Taylor had 15 interceptions, two of which were returned for scores.

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