The Seattle Seahawks have had a countless number of running backs in their 40 years a part of the NFL. Running back is one of the of most important positions on a football team. Not all can do the job and it only comes down to a few who actually made a difference among the team. Who are their top five Seahawks running backs of all-time?
Top Five Seattle Seahawks Running Backs of All-Time
Shaun Alexander
9,429 yards | 100 touchdowns | 2,176 attempts
The number one spot is debatable among many. Alexander played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide before being drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL draft. Despite Alexander’s low performance during his rookie season, he had a minimum of 1,300 rushing yards per year over his next five.
His best season came in 2005 when he rushed for a career high of 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns, earning the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. Along with that, Alexander helped the Seahawks reach Super Bowl XL where they lost 21-10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In his nine-year career, Alexander was elected three times to the NFL Pro-Bowl and twice elected to First-Team All-pro. He holds nearly 20 franchise records in his time with the Seahawks.
Marshawn Lynch
6,347 yards | 57 touchdowns | 1,457 attempts
Lynch played three seasons for the Buffalo Bills before being traded to the Seahawks just a few games into the 2010 season, where he played nearly six seasons in the Emerald City before retiring. Lynch became known as ‘Beast Mode’ after his aggressive playing style, often running through his defenders. Since his time with the Seahawks, the former California Golden Bear reached the playoffs in all but one year, together in which they won Super Bowl XLVII against the Denver Broncos.
One of the most famous plays in NFL history came during the 2011 NFL Wild Card game when the Seahawks played the New Orleans Saints. In the fourth quarter, Lynch broke a total of nine tackles in a 67-yard touchdown run. The reaction from the crowd caused a spike in a nearby seismograph and the play was deemed “Beast Quake“. “Beast Quake 2.0” came in a 2014 game in Arizona when Lynch broke several more tackles for a 79-yard touchdown.
Curt Warner
6,705 yards | 55 touchdowns| 1,649 attempts
Warner was drafted by the Seahawks in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He was the leading rusher in his time at Penn State and was even named All-American in 1981 and 1982. During his rookie season, Warner rushed for 1,449 yards and 13 touchdowns. In his seven years with the Seahawks, he was a three-time Pro Bowler and First-team All-American in 1987. In 1994, four years after his retirement, the former Nittany Lion was inducted into the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor.
Chris Warren
6,706 yards | 107 touchdowns | 1,559 attempts
Some may argue this choice but there is no denying Chris Warren as one of Seattle’s top leading rushers of all-time. In his 12-year career in the National Football league, Warren played in Seattle for eight of them. He was selected 89th overall by the Seahawks in the 1990 NFL draft. From 1992-1995, Chris Warren had four consecutive seasons with 1,000+ rushing yards. In 1995, he had a career high of 15 touchdowns in one season.
Ricky Watters
4,009 yards | 22 touchdowns | 994 attempts
Ricky Watters‘ first seven seasons in the NFL were spent with two other teams: the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1998, he joined Seattle and played there for a total of four seasons. Watters was not just effective in the backfield while in Seattle. He also caught 166 passes from various quarterbacks including Warren Moon (1998), Jon Kitna (1998-2000), and Matt Hasselbeck (2001) for 1,480 yards and four touchdowns.
