The tough part about all-time lists is that some franchises do not have a long, storied history. The Seattle Seahawks fall into that category.

Seattle has certainly had some great players over the years, but when you talk about legendary NFL quarterbacks in a broader sense, football fans do not immediately start mentioning signal-callers from the Emerald City.

Still, the Seahawks have been around since 1976, which means that they have had a variety of individuals chuck the ball around the field. Now that Seattle has decided to put their faith in a rookie quarterback like Russell Wilson, it is worth looking at the history of this position in Seattle. 

Here are the top five Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks of all-time and why they made the list. 

Matt Hasselbeck

Record as a starter: 69-62

Stats with the Seahawks: 29,434 passing yards / 174 TDs / 128 INTs

Playoff appearances with the Seahawks: Six

This pick is not terribly difficult to defend given the longevity and the accomplishments of Matt Hasselbeck. Matt has the distinction of being the only quarterback to lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl, and plenty of fans will argue that the Hawks actually won that game. 

Hasselbeck developed from a backup project to a clutch gamer, and from a playoff success standpoint, he is the most accomplished quarterback in Seattle history.    

Granted, he had a great offensive line and Shaun Alexander in his prime, but you still have to make the throws. Fans had mixed feelings when Hasselbeck departed, but at some point, every franchise moves on from a longtime star. 

Dave Krieg

Record as a starter: 70-49

Playoff appearances with the Seahawks: Four

Stats with the Seahawks: 26,132 passing yards / 195 TDs / 148 INTs

Dave Krieg was the leader of a Seahawks team that finally got on the NFL map in the 1983 season. Coupled with Steve Largent, (the original) Curt Warner and a deafening Kingdome, Krieg made four playoff appearances during his Seahawk career.

When you look at the accomplishments of Hasselbeck and Krieg, they are similar. This is when you start getting into arguments about different eras and the impact of the supporting cast. 

Krieg was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2004. 

Jim Zorn

Record as a starter: 40-60

Stats with the Seahawks: 20,122 passing yards / 107 TDs / 133 INTs

Playoff appearances with the Seahawks: None

There is a sentimental attachment to Jim Zorn since he was the one who suited up first for the Seahawks. In addition, Zorn got it going with a little-known wide receiver named Steve Largent, who turned out to have a pretty good career.

The statistics are not overwhelming, but fans remember a gutsy, scrambling quarterback who will always represent the start of Seahawks football in Seattle.

Given the fact that he was an undrafted rookie that was not exactly surrounded by a wealth of talent, he did pretty well for himself in the early years. 

Zorn was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1991.   

Jon Kitna

Record as a starter: 18-15

Stats with the Seahawks: 7,552 yards passing / 49 TDs / 45 INTs

Playoff appearances with the Seahawks: One

This is where it starts to get tougher. After we get past Jim Zorn, the Seahawks have a small collection of quarterbacks that just never got it going.

Jon Kitna represents a quarterback that had some success as a starter, and at times, he looked like he might be a long-term solution. In 1999, he led the Seahawks to the playoffs for the first time since 1988. 

Kitna had an interesting history, and he could have been one of those feel-good stories of NFL success. However, Kitna did not stick, and from a historical standpoint, he represents a semi-successful placeholder before the Matt Hasselbeck experiment began. 

Warren Moon

Record as a starter: 11-13

Stats with the Seahawks: 5,310 yards passing / 36 TDs / 24 INTs

Playoff appearances with the Seahawks: None

The fifth quarterback on this list is even tougher than the fourth. 

When you think of Warren Moon, you certainly remember an accomplished Hall of Fame quarterback. If we are talking about the greatest quarterbacks in Houston Oilers history, Moon is an easy pick. 

Moon makes this list because of his legendary status, both as an NFL quarterback and as a member of the Washington Huskies. Unfortunately, the Seahawks got him when he was at the tail end of his career. Seattle has seen this before. Gaylord Perry? Patrick Ewing?

In all honesty, many fans are more prone to put Moon in the fifth spot simply because the alternative is Rick Mirer. Mirer is not necessarily a popular name in Seattle. 

Honorable Mention

Trent Dilfer

Dilfer is a tough one because he won a Super Bowl and he had his moments in Seattle. The problem with Trent Dilfer is that he was never a dynamic star for the Seahawks. Despite winning the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, he is still regarded as a “game manager” quarterback. Let’s just say he is better than Kelly Stouffer, Stan Gelbaugh or Dan McGwire. 

Rick Mirer

Some people might like to put Rick Mirer on the list of five only because he did stick around longer than Kitna and Moon. In addition, he did have some success early in his career. However, when you are second overall pick, there are expectations. Frankly, Mirer did not meet them.

Besides, which other Seattle quarterback was caught eating hot dogs on the sideline?

Will Russell Wilson eventually be on this list? Seattle fans sure hope so.