PurplePTSD: Purple Mailbag: Will Jim Marshall Ever Get Into The Hall Of Fame?

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

K. Joudry

2022-03-01

Recently, I put out a feeler on Twitter to see what Vikings fans have on their mind. One question that I received was in relation to all-time Vikings great Jim Marshall and his bid to finally get into the Hall of Fame. We’ll dig into that one to see what kind of case he has to finally make it.

Question: What needs to happen to get Jim Marshall a gold jacket. Jared Allen is deserving but this is one time #70 should come before #69.

Great question.

First, the basics. The defensive end played in the NFL for 20 seasons, a remarkable feat given the position he played. Following a rookie year in Cleveland, all of those years came in a purple uniform. Part of what makes it even more remarkable is that he never got hurt: “He ranks 1st in NFL history with 282 consecutive games played and started, 270 of those are from the Vikings.” His final games came as a 42-year-old.

Unofficially, Jim Marshall put together 130.5 sacks. Some have argued that his relatively modest per-year sack average helps keep him from the Hall of Fame, but I’m of the opinion that longevity ought to work in his favor. Plus, he was playing at a time when passing wasn’t as prominent. Less passing means less sack opportunities.

It’s also notable that his per season average is brought down by declining production as he got older. Again, though, I don’t see these extra years as reason to fault him.

Take a look at what Cole Smith – a writer for Purple PTSD – had to say about Marshall’s case to get into the HoF:

Jim Marshall has a strong case to make it into the Hall of Fame. He was a key component of the Purple People Eaters, helping to lead the Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances. He finds himself in the team’s Ring of Honor. Hopefully, the NFL’s Hall of Fame voters will soon make the decision to induct him into Canton.

What will it take to finally get him in? Well, it’s impossible to say. He has been overlooked several times. Perhaps a weaker class alongside a renewed push from media and fans would be enough to see him finally end up in the Hall.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.