Recently released info not good for Jim Marshall’s Hall of Fame chances

Unofficial sack numbers since 1960 have revealed the year-by-year sack totals of former Minnesota Vikings players, including Jim Marshall.

For several years, there has been an effort made by Minnesota Vikings fans, former teammates, and former coaches to get Jim Marshall a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The former defensive end spent 20 years in the NFL and no member of the Vikings has appeared in more games than the 270 Marshall suited up in purple and gold for.

Some recently released stats from Pro-Football-Reference revealed that Marshall is still in possession of the second-most career sacks by a Minnesota player in franchise history (128). However, these numbers also made it a little more clear why the former Vikings pass rusher hasn’t been able to get his bronze bust in Canton yet.

Hall of Fame case for former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall might have taken a hit

We just mentioned how Marshall currently ranks second in sacks in Minnesota’s all-time record book. Only Carl Eller accumulated more sacks in his tenure with the Vikings (130.5).

But when one looks at Marshall’s year-by-year sack totals during his career, his absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame makes a little more sense.

During his 20 years in the NFL, Marshall finished with 10 or more sacks in a season just four times. Eller, Alan Page, and John Randle (all former Vikings in the Hall of Fame) all had at least seven seasons in their careers with 10 sacks or more.

12 of Marshall’s years in the league also saw him finish with seven sacks or less. In their careers, Page and Randle combined to have just five seasons in which they ended with seven sacks or less.

During his time in the NFL, Marshall averaged 6.5 sacks per year. That’s a lower career average than Eller, Page, Randle, Chris Doleman, Jared Allen, and even Everson Griffen.

Marshall was an important part of Minnesota’s talented defenses in the 1970s. He was someone the Vikings could depend on to be on the field each week.

But the production in his career was mediocre more often than it was above average and that’s probably not going to result in him getting a gold jacket from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.