Vikings legend snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Committee

Vikings DE Jim Marshall should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame but will need to keep waiting after not being included with senior finalists for 2023.

Many fans of the Minnesota Vikings have been wondering how long it will take for the Pro Football Hall of Fame to induct Jim Marshall. The legendary defender holds an important place in football history but has yet to get his gold jacket.

There was some hope that Marshall would be included as one of the senior members of the Class of 2023, but that won’t be the case as the Pro Football Hall of Fame recently announced their 12 finalists and the list didn’t include the prolific defensive end.

Here is the list of the 12 finalists chosen by the Seniors Committee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 as shared on their official Twitter account.

Why should Jim Marshall be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

A member of the legendary Purple People Eaters defense of the Minnesota Vikings, Jim Marshall holds the NFL record for most consecutive games played with one team:(270) and most consecutive starts by a defensive lineman (270,  289 including playoffs).

The league’s defensive ironman was a key part of Minnesota’s 1969 NFL Championship team and has his No. 70 jersey retired by the Vikings and is part of the team’s Ring of Honor.

Marshall was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 but was passed over that year. Eventually, his status changed and now he needs to be inducted by the Senior Committee since so much time has passed since his retirement.

Sadly, Jim Marshall will need to keep waiting for his day in the sun. With each passing year, the odds of his Induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame get slimmer, but he shouldn’t give up hope that it will happen one of these years.