Aug 4, 2017; Canton, OH, USA; Kenny Easley waves during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game-Enshrinees' Gold Jacket Dinner at Canton Memorial Civic Center. Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Seahawks honoring late franchise legend in unique way

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Nov 20, 2025 4:12 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kenny Easley, who died at the age of 66 on Nov. 14, will be honored by the franchise for the remainder of the 2025 season.

The Seahawks will wear a No. 45 patch on their helmets for the final seven games of the season, the team announced on Thursday. They will also honor Easley in a yet-to-be-disclosed manner during their Week 13 game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field.

Easley, who played for the Seahawks from 1981-87, was a five-time Pro Bowler, four-time First Team All-Pro and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1984. He is one of 13 players to be immortalized in the franchise's Ring of Honor.

In honor of Kenny Easley, we will be wearing number 45 on our helmets for the remainder of the season.

Read more » https://t.co/oQFxBnepCy pic.twitter.com/FiTY6iWxcp
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 20, 2025

Seattle also retired Easley's number in 2017, joining only Steve Largent (No. 80), Cortez Kennedy (No. 96) and Walter Jones (No. 71) as members of that exclusive club with the franchise.

The Seahawks and Easley had a complicated relationship for many years following his departure from the team due to a lawsuit he filed against the franchise, the team trainer and team doctors.

Easley alleged his kidney failure, which was discovered after he was traded to the then-Phoenix Cardinals in 1988, was due to an overdose on Advil as a result of a prior ankle injury.

Easley retired just a few months after the trade, and he didn't reconcile with the franchise until being inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2002 — a proposition that came from new Seahawks owner Paul Allen.

The helmet stickers show the franchise's continued commitment to honoring one of the greatest defensive players in team history. Easley totaled 32 interceptions (three returned for touchdowns) and forced nine fumbles in 89 total games with the Seahawks.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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