Bud Grant continually preached that one of the great injustices of the NFL is the fact Jim Marshall isn't in the Hall of Fame. Here is #70 talking about that support. pic.twitter.com/BmP70vXwHN
— Seth Kaplan 📺 (@Seth_Kaplan) June 3, 2025
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor recipient Jim Marshall has died after a long hospitalization at age 87.
The team announced the news on social media.
Marshall spent 19 of his 20 professional seasons in Minnesota from 1961 to 1979. The Ohio State alum started an NFL record 270 consecutive games for the team and served as captain for 14-straight seasons. Marshall also holds NFL career records for recovering 29 opponents’ fumbles and for starting the most games by a defensive player at 282.
Marshall had his jersey number 70 is retired and was one of the key players in the Vikings’ Purple People Eaters defensive line. Miller was also known for “The Wrong Way Run” in which he recovered a fumble in a game against the San Francisco 49ers in 1964 and ran into his own team’s end zone.
There has been a push for years to get Marshall enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Pro Football Reference’s career weighted approximate value rankings lists him just above former Viking Jared Allen at 132. Allen was elected to the Hall of Fame this year. The website says the method is an attempt to put a single number on the value of a player at any position.
