For years, Minnesota Vikings loyalists called on the NFL to reconsider its stance on Jim Marshall.
The team ramped up its campaign to get one of its greatest stars into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, citing his 130.5 career sacks and NFL record 270 consecutive starts by a defensive player.
The captain of the "Purple People Eaters," Marshall played in four of the first 11 Super Bowls as a conduit for the team's early success following the 1961 expansion.
Marshall's omission from the highest honor in football remained a thorn in the hearts and minds of not only Vikings fans but also his former teammates.
And now, the NFL is again facing backlash for Marshall, who passed away at the age of 87 on June 3, never seeing his enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.
Jim Marshall
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall (70) on the sideline against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium. The Chiefs defeated the Vikings 24-7.
Manny Rubio-Imagn Images
"One of the best Minnesota Vikings ever," A to Z Sports' Tyler Forness wrote on X in response to Marshall's passing. "The committee not electing Jim Marshall to the Hall of Fame before he passed away will forever be a major travesty. RIP Jim, we won't ever forget you."
Several Vikings fans echoed a similar sentiment.
"Should be in the Hall of Fame," one fan wrote. "RIP Jim!"
"It is absolutely unacceptable how this man won’t see the day he gets accepted into the Hall of Fame," a second fan said. "Horrible job by the committee every year."
"Biggest NFL HOF snub off [sic] all time," a third fan added. "Rest in Paradise!!"
A resounding majority of fans could not let Marshall's death pass without mentioning the Vikings legend's Hall of Fame snub.
There is an enormous backlog of players who are considered worthy of the Hall of Fame but have been left behind. From 2022-24, the committee guaranteed the enshrinement of three senior members, a rule that has since expired.
While not every great player can become a Hall of Famer, Marshall has quite a convincing case. Beyond ranking 15th all-time in sacks, Marshall's 29 opponent fumble recoveries are tied for the most in NFL history alongside Jason Taylor.
Two years ago, Marshall was omitted from the Hall of Fame's 31 semifinalists. Assigned a weighted approximate value (AV) by Pro Football Reference, Marshall had a weighted AV of 102, which was the second-best score of any semifinalist.
While a post-mortem induction could be on the docket for next year, Marshall never being named at least a finalist for the Hall of Fame while alive weighs heavily on the hearts of many fans.