Seattle, WA
Seattle Seahawks Legends Marshawn Lynch and Earl Thomas Debut on 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot
The 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions concluded on Saturday with Devin Hester, Patrick Willis, Julius Peppers, Andre Johnson, Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael, and Dwight Freeney getting their busts in Canton.
Now that the Hall of Fame festivities are behind us, the question now becomes, who is next?
Eligible for the 2025 Hall of Fame ballot are Aqib Talib, Cameron Wake, Joe Staley, Clay Matthews, Marshal Yanda, Terrell Suggs, Adam Vinatieri, Luke Kuechly, and Eli Manning.
Plus, two Seahawks will make their debuts on the ballot. Earl Thomas and Marshawn Lynch were both instrumental in bringing Seattle their first Super Bowl trophy. Now, they are eligible for the Hall of Fame. What are their chances for enshrinement? Let’s dive in.
With the 14th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Seahawks picked the standout safety from Texas, Earl Thomas. He became an instant starter and was a staple in the Seattle secondary for the next eight-plus seasons. Between 2011 and 2015, he earned five straight Pro Bowl nods and three consecutive First Team All-Pro selections. Through his nine seasons in Seattle, he earned at least Second Team All-Pro honors in five of them.
During Seattle’s Super Bowl run in 2013, he put together a season worthy of player of the year consideration. In 16 games, he tallied 105 tackles and pulled in five interceptions. Eventually, that earned him third place in Defensive Player of the Year Award voting. He put together three separate seasons of five interceptions.
He assembled a similar Hall of Fame resume to current Hall of Famer John Lynch. The former Bucs and Broncos safety earned nine Pro Bowl nods with four All-Pro seasons. Thomas has seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro seasons. Lynch had 26 interceptions and Thomas had 30. Both of them notched one Super Bowl title. Thomas even played in one more playoff game than John Lynch, both with two interceptions in the postseason. Thomas has a compelling argument for Canton.
Unfortunately, his playing career in Seattle ended on a sour note, with him being carted off the field due to injury and making an inappropriate gesture towards the Seahawks sidelines. He signed a deal with the Ravens ahead of the 2019 season and put together another Pro Bowl-caliber year.
During the 2020 preseason, the Ravens abrutptly released Thomas due to “personal conduct that has adversely affected the Baltimore Ravens.” Between 2020 and 2022, several troubling incidents occurred, including his wife being arrested after holding him at gunpoint and him being arrested after he violated a court protective order by sending messages to a woman about her and her children. He never saw the field in the NFL again after 2019.
Given how his career ended and some of the off-field issues he’s had, some may hold that against him in voting. However, no one can deny Thomas was clearly one of the best football players of the 2010s decade. In fact, he was voted part of the coveted Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010 Team. That bodes well for induction someday.
“Beast Mode” is one of the most interesting football players to ever play in the NFL. On one hand, he was constantly aloof with the media. On the other, he was one of the most captivating running backs of this generation. A product of Oakland, California and a standout at Cal, Lynch took a less direct journey to Seahawks stardom compared to Thomas.
The Buffalo Bills drafted Lynch 12th overall in 2007 and he became a Pro Bowler in 2008. Before even slipping on the Seahawks uniform for the first time, Lynch had already put together two 1,000-yard seasons in Buffalo. The Seahawks traded for Lynch in the middle of Pete Carroll’s first year of 2010.
Fans remember the run to the playoffs that year, with Lynch punctuating it with one of the most memorable individual runs in NFL history. How many players have a play with an iconic nickname? The Immaculate Reception. The Helmet Catch in Super Bowl XLIII. The Catch by Clark from Montana.
Then there’s “Beast Quake.” Lynch helped the Seahawks seal a playoff win against the defending Super Bowl champion Saints with a 67-yard touchdown run where he broke nine different tackles. The score sent then-Qwest Field into such a frenzy, that it registered on the local seismograph charts that usually measure earthquakes.
But to be a Hall of Famer, you need more than just one big play. Lynch has big moments in spades. He helped lead one of the most physical running games in recent memory as Seattle bullied their way to back-to-back Super Bowls, with one championship.
As a running back, he needs career totals to measure up to the all-time greats. He has that. While he is just 29th in career rushing yards (still higher than Earl Campbell, Shaun Alexander, and Terrell Davis), he ranks 17th in touchdowns, ahead of Hall of Famers Edgerrin James, Tony Dorsett, and Earl Campbell. Plus, he did serious damage in the postseason and currently sits fourth all-time in postseason rushing touchdowns.
He adds five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro seasons to his resume. His run between 2011 and 2014 will be tough to match for any modern running back, averaging over 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns from scrimmage in that four-season window. He also holds more than 15 Seahawks franchise records.
Off the field, Lynch has had a a few driving-related incidents with police, most recently a DUI charge in August of 2022. But he’s also done a lot of good, raising money for local charities and starting his own business. He remains a captivating character in pop culture, making appearances in shows like Brooklyn 99, The Great American Baking Show, and more.
Lynch has a strong case for the Hall of Fame. Indeed, his coldness to the media as a player might turn off some. But the numbers are tough to ignore and his peak years are unmatched in the 2010s decade. Which, like Thomas, earned him a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010 Team. He may not be a first ballot Hall of Famer, with plenty of legends of the game on the ballot, including rollovers that just missed the cut in 2024, but he makes a compelling argument to have a bust in Canton in the coming few years.
Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect
Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.
MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.
The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.
Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.
Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.
At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.
Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.
“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”
Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.
More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift
A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike
Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.
“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.
The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”
Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.
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Will more restaurants close?
Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.
Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.
“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.
Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”
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Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people
The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.
Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.
Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.
One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”
KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.
Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.
Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
A pair of candidates have surfaced in the Seattle Seahawks’ search for a new offensive coordinator.
An NFL insider’s view on Seahawks OC change and what’s next
The Seahawks are scheduled to interview Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley and Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, according to multiple reports. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero first reported the news Thursday morning.
Seattle will interview Fraley on Friday and Brown on Saturday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
The Seahawks moved on from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on Monday after an up-and-down season for Seattle’s offense that included one of the worst rushing attacks in the league.
Fraley, 47, has been on Detroit’s coaching staff for the past seven seasons, including the past five as the team’s offensive line coach. Fraley has coached an offensive line that’s paved the way for one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks. The Lions rank third in Pro Football Focus’ run block grading and finished the regular season sixth in both rushing yards per game (146.4) and yards per carry (4.7).
During his time in Detroit, Fraley has helped develop four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow and three-time Pro Bowl right tackle Penei Sewell. As a player, Fraley started 123 games at center and guard over a 10-year NFL career with the Eagles (2001-05), Browns (2006-09) and Rams (2010). According to Breer, Fraley has done groundwork in searching for a pass game coordinator that he would pair with as an OC.
Brown, 38, began the season as Chicago’s passing game coordinator. He then was promoted to offensive coordinator when Shane Waldron, a former Seahawks assistant, was fired as OC on Nov. 12, and then to interim head coach when Matt Eberflus was fired on Nov. 29. Brown went 1-4 as the Bears’ interim head coach.
Brown was the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2023. Prior to that, he spent three seasons under head coach Sean McVay in various roles on the Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff.
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