The NFL hosted their Hall of Fame induction ceremony this past weekend in Canton, Ohio where we saw seven new Hall of Famers solidify their legacy as some of the best players in history. The newest inductees were Patrick Willis, Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar, Andre Johnson, Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, and Steven McMichael. With the conclusion of this enshrinement, it just means we are one step closer to the regular season.
As we prepare for football kicking off this month with preseason, it is never too early to start to look at which former NFL players are going to be eligible for the Hall of Fame next year, specifically who are entering their first year of eligibility. Next year’s first-year candidates are notable players in which it doesn’t seem like they have been out of the league for five years. One of those former players started out their career with the Buffalo Bills.
Former running back Marshawn Lynch is on the list of players who could find themselves in the Hall of Fame next August. Along with Lynch, some other notable players include Eli Manning, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri per Adam Schefter.
First-time eligibles for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 include:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 3, 2024
🏈Eli Manning
🏈Terrell Suggs
🏈Marshawn Lynch
🏈Earl Thomas
🏈Aqib Talib
🏈Adam Vinatieri
🏈Luke Kuechly
🏈Marshal Yanda pic.twitter.com/Jo09t55ZNp
The Bills drafted Lynch 12th overall in 2007 out of California and had back-to-back 1,000+ rushing yard seasons in his first two years with the Bills. However, things started to go down hill for Lynch after his second year which included injuries and off the field issues. During his fourth season, the Bills traded Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks where he would shine as one of the best players in the game for a long time.
Believe it or not, Lynch only faced off against the Bills once in his career where he rushed for 113 yards and one touchdown in 2012.
In his career, Lynch rushed for 10,413 yards and 85 touchdowns. He had a four year run of 1,200+ rushing yard seasons along with having double digit touchdowns. He finished his career as a five-time Pro Bowler and earned First-Team All Pro honors once in 2012. Not to mention, he also helped the Seahawks defeat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Lynch would truly finish his career with the Raiders but did sign with the Seahawks in 2019 for one last run that didn’t last long whatsoever.
Lynch has an argument to be voted into the Hall of Fame, but his production did fall off near the end of his career and he also did miss the 2016 season with an early retirement before coming back in 2017.