Jim Marshall named among Senior candidates for Pro Football Hall of Fame

On Thursday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its list of candidates for enshrinement in the Class of 2023 in the Senior and Coach/Contributor categories, and one name will stand out for fans of the Minnesota Vikings.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. . .time to rally around the great Jim Marshall for enshrinement in Canton, as he is one of the 25 named Senior candidates for the upcoming cycle. Here’s what the blurb from the Hall of Fame website has to say about him.

After starting his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, Marshall was traded to Minnesota, where he would play the next 19 seasons without missing a game. Marshall’s 282 consecutive games played are the most by a defensive player, and his streak is 58 games longer than the next closest defensive lineman. A member of the Vikings famed “Purple People Eaters” defensive front, Marshall earned two Pro Bowl selections.

We all know that it’s ridiculous that Jim Marshall isn’t already in the Hall of Fame. Hell, if the Bud Grant Vikings had won just one of those Super Bowls they made it to, he’d have been in a long time ago (along with a few others, in all likelihood).

The next step for Marshall is to survive the reduction from 25 Senior candidates down to 12, which will happen when that committee meets on 27 July. Once the list is reduced to 12, the Seniors Committee will then select “up to three”. . .they’re totally doing three, let’s be honest. . .candidates to be considered for enshrinement in a separate meeting on 16 August.

The only two other players on the list with any connection to the Vikings are running back Roger Craig and offensive lineman Chris Hinton, each of whom only played for two seasons in Minnesota and are readily identifiable with other franchises.

Here’s hoping that this is the year that Jim Marshall can finally join Alan Page and Carl Eller in his rightful place in Canton.