Top Moments of Steve Hutchinson's HOF Career

 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is defined by mind-numbing statistics and accolades over the span of a career.

But for an offensive lineman, the numbers don’t tell the full story.

An offensive lineman’s job is to make everyone else around him look better. Few players did that better than Steve Hutchinson.

The quick-footed guard made his name as a part of the legendary Seattle Seahawks line and as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

Soon he will have his place in Canton.

Before he is enshrined into the Hall of Fame next year, we’re looking at the top moments of the stellar offensive guard’s historic career.

DRAFTED BY SEAHAWKS IN 2001 NFL DRAFT

WHEN: APRIL 21, 2001

Where a player gets drafted plays a big role in how their career pans out.

Sometimes you find a perfect fit and the right parts are combined for a player to succeed. That was the case for Steve Hutchinson landing with the Seattle Seahawks in the 2001 NFL Draft.

The offensive guard from Michigan came into the 2001 Draft as the top player in his position and with eye-popping draft grades, but his position wasn’t sexy enough to warrant a Top-10 pick.

Seattle’s route to landing Hutchinson is an interesting one and set the course for the franchise for the next five years.

Seattle originally had the 10th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, but traded it, along with a third-round pick, to Green Bay for the 17th pick and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

With that 17th pick, they selected Hutchinson.

PROLIFIC 2005-06 CAMPAIGN

WHEN: 2005-06 SEASON

The 2005 Seahawks offensive line is the stuff of legends.

Alongside Hutchinson stood left tackle Walter Jones, Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014 member, and together the two helped create one of the most dynamic and intimidating rushing attacks the league has ever seen.

The duo, along with the rest of Seattle’s offensive line, helped lead the way for Shaun Alexanders’ 2005 NFL MVP campaign where he rushed for a franchise-record 1,880 yards and scored a league-record 28 touchdowns.

The dominant ground game paved the way for a 13-3 regular season and the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl berth.

SIGNS BIGGEST CONTRACT EVER FOR OFFENSIVE GUARD

WHEN: MARCH 20, 2006

After five prolific seasons in Seattle, Hutchinson earned the biggest payday ever for an offensive guard.

He entered the unrestricted free agent market with the transition tag placed on him, allowing the Seahawks the right of first refusal to match an offer made by another team.

The Minnesota Vikings, seeing the value Hutchinson brought to Seattle’s offense, sent the guard a seven-year, $49 million offer. At the time (March 2012), this was the biggest contract for an offensive guard in NFL history.

The deal sparked controversy as the Vikings used the now-defunct “poison pill” clause within the contract to make it nearly impossible for Seattle to match their offer and keep Hutchinson with the Seahawks.

MAKES THIRD CONSECUTIVE ALL-PRO TEAM

WHEN: 2009-10 SEASON

First-Team All-Pro selections can help cement a Hall of Fame candidacy.

Most Hall of Famers have multiple selections, but few can string them together, especially at a competitive position like guard, like Hutchinson did.

Hutchinson paid back the Vikings for their monetary commitment to him, being selected First-Team All-Pro in his second, third and fourth seasons with the team.

ENSHRINED INTO PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

WHEN: AUGUST 7, 2021

The most important moment of Steve Hutchinson’s professional career is still to come.

On August 7, Hutchinson will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2020. While the ceremony was supposed to take place in 2020, it will be well worth the wait to see Hutchinson and company enter the immortal halls in Canton.