Unveiling Seahawks All-Time Super Bowl Squad
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Marshawn Lynch celebrate with the Lombardi Trophy during the team’s Super Bowl parade in February 2014.
The Seattle Seahawks won’t be playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, but the franchise has been to the big game three times in the past 20 years, providing a prime opportunity to look back at those who starred for the team under the brightest lights.
Who would land on Seattle’s All-Time Super Bowl squad? Revisiting each of the franchise’s prior trips to compete for the Lombardi Trophy, here’s a 26-man roster featuring the best of the best from those three championship-caliber teams:
Quarterback: Matt Hasselbeck
There’s no disputing that Russell Wilson deserves the title of best quarterback in franchise history. But without a historically great defense on the other side of the ball, Hasselbeck shouldered a greater load on his march to Super Bowl XL, and his strong performance in that game unfortunately was marred by several questionable calls by the officiating crew at Ford Field. In the midst of his prime at that stage of his career, he threw for 273 yards and a touchdown and would have had a second one if not for a controversial offensive pass interference call against Darrell Jackson.
Running Back: Marshawn Lynch
On the heels of a fantastic 1,000-yard season, “Beast Mode” didn’t have his best game in Seattle’s 43-8 win over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII with just 39 rushing yards on 15 carries, but he did score a touchdown in that blowout to earn himself a ring. Lynch played a much bigger role in the Seahawks’ push for a repeat the following February, eclipsing 100 rushing yards and scoring a touchdown against the Patriots at State Farm Stadium. If only he would have received the ball one more time at the goal line…
Fullback: Mack Strong
One of the last great traditional fullbacks, Strong’s presence out of the backfield helped the Seahawks in numerous ways, as his lead blocking paved the way for Shaun Alexander to win the 2005 MVP and nearly hit the 100-yard mark in Super Bowl XL. But the hard-nosed back was more than just a blocker, as he came through in short yardage situations as a runner and had surprisingly good hands as a receiver, contributing 23 yards on five touches in that loss in Detroit. Putting him in front of Lynch would have been a nasty 1-2 backfield combo.
Receivers: Doug Baldwin, Darrell Jackson
Leading a balanced onslaught during Seattle’s dominant victory over Denver, Baldwin finished with five catches for a team-high 66 yards and put the icing on the cake with a 10-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter to all but seal the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. As for Jackson, a 16-yard touchdown wiped out by a pass interference call that is still disputed to this day hurt his final stat line, but he still had 50 yards on five catches as Hasselbeck’s go-to target in a loss to the Steelers and his skill set would be a nice complement to Baldwin on the outside. Honorable mention goes to Chris Matthews, whose remarkable out of nowhere performance in Super Bowl XLIX deserves acknowledgment despite coming in a losing effort.
Tight End: Zach Miller
An injury prevented Miller from playing in Super Bowl XLIX and he only had one catch for 10 yards in the win over the Broncos in the season prior. But his blocking contributions cannot be overlooked helping open up rushing lanes for Lynch and protecting Wilson and in all honestly, tight ends hardly factored into any of the franchise’s three Super Bowl appearances, at least from a positive perspective.
Tackles: Walter Jones, Breno Giacomini
One of the best tackles to ever suit up in NFL history, Jones would be a shoo-in protecting Hasselbeck’s blind side as he did for a decade in Mike Holmgren’s offense. On the right side, Sean Locklear deserves credit for his play opposite of “Big Walt” in the march to the Super Bowl in 2005, but Giacomini’s nasty demeanor and physicality was an underrated part of Seattle’s success on the way to a win in Super Bowl XLVIII. Yes, he had his share of issues with penalties, but his mindset proved to be invaluable establishing the Seahawks as the NFC West bully.
Guards: Steve Hutchinson, Chris Gray
Hutchinson became public enemy No. 1 when he bolted for the Vikings and signed a “poison pill” contract after Super Bowl XL. But prior to that point, he had been a multi-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, building the foundation for his eventual Hall of Fame career in the Pacific Northwest. Opposite of Hutch, Gray often slid under the radar, starting 145 games in 10 seasons with the Seahawks and playing a vital role in Hasselbeck and Alexander’s success as an underrated standout blocker in both the pass and run game.
Center: Max Unger
It has been 10 years since the Seahawks traded Unger to the Saints for tight end Jimmy Graham and the franchise still hasn’t fully recovered from that decision, continuing to change centers as frequently as some people change clothes. Prior to that ill-fated blockbuster deal, he became the first and only center in team history to be selected as a First-Team All-Pro and started in both of Seattle’s Super Bowl appearances, cementing his status as the best ever to do it in team history at the pivot position.
Defensive Ends: Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril
A beacon of versatility who slid up and down the defensive line and terrorized tackles and guards alike, Bennett lived in the backfield for the Seahawks against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, producing a ridiculous four quarterback hits on Tom Brady in that contest. Opposite of him, Avril’s relentless pressure on Brady helped Seattle build a two-score lead, and once he exited with a concussion in the second half, New England’s offense started to find a groove, showcasing his immense value flying off the edge.
Defensive Tackles: Brandon Mebane, Rocky Bernard
An absolute load to move in the middle, Mebane held serve against the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII with three tackles and a tackle for loss. An underrated part of Seattle’s defense during the 2005 Super Bowl run, Bernard only had two tackles in the big game, but he helped slow down Jerome Bettis and hold the bus to just 43 rushing yards in that game while also generating a pressure on Ben Roethlisberger.
Linebackers: Bobby Wagner, Lofa Tatupu, Malcolm Smith
Elevating his game on the biggest stage, Wagner produced double-digit tackles in both Super Bowl XLVIII and Super Bowl XLIX, adding an interception against Brady in the second matchup. Tatupu had a solid game himself at Ford Field, leading the Seahawks with nine combined tackles and producing a pass breakup in coverage. While K.J. Wright ultimately had a far better career, Malcolm Smith earned Super Bowl MVP honors against the Broncos with a pick six, 10 tackles, and a fumble recovery, earning himself a spot in this star-studded squad.
Cornerbacks: Richard Sherman, Marcus Trufant
Statistically, Sherman didn’t have an interception in either of his Super Bowl starts. However, Peyton Manning and Brady generally avoided targeting him like the plague and for good reason. When Manning did test him in Super Bowl XLVIII, the perennial All-Pro got his hands on a pass for a breakup. Trufant didn’t have a pick or pass breakup in Super Bowl XL, but he was the alpha dog for Seattle’s secondary that season and his stellar coverage played a crucial part in the team advancing all the way to Detroit.
Safeties: Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor
No offense to Marquand Manuel or Michael Boulware, who had an interception in Super Bowl XL, but these two spots have to go to Thomas and Chancellor, two pillars from the vaunted “Legion of Boom” who starred in back-to-back big games. Chancellor drew acclaim for his monster hit on Demaryius Thomas going over the middle of the field early in Super Bowl XLVIII, but he also added an interception against Manning later in the game to fuel the rout. Thomas had a pass breakup and tackle for loss in that same game and both players had at least nine tackles in the loss to the Patriots one year later.
Kicker: Stephen Hauschka
Picture perfect in two Super Bowl outings, Hauschka nailed all eight of his extra points and all three of his field goals, splitting the uprights with ease under pressure. That’s far better than Josh Brown could say, as his two missed field goals in Super Bowl XL loomed large down the stretch.
Punter: Jon Ryan
Ryan lands a spot on this squad for more than just his stellar punting in both Super Bowls. The Seahawks would not have gotten back to the big game in 2014 without his trick play heroics on a fake field goal touchdown pass to tackle Garry Gilliam, earning himself a spot on the roster with that play alone.
Kick Returner: Percy Harvin
Harvin may have landed as many punches on teammates as he did positive plays on the football field during his brief, controversial stint with the Seahawks. But he put the dagger in the Broncos by returning the opening second half kickoff in Super Bowl XLVIII for a touchdown, cementing his status in franchise lore.
Punt Returner: Golden Tate
Seattle only had six punt returns total in three Super Bowl appearances and Tate earns the nod here with a 20-yard return, the longest by any player during those games. Add in the fact he was a dangerous punt returner throughout his four years in the Pacific Northwest and this becomes a slam dunk pick over the rest of the competition.
