The Minnesota Vikings will have a little extra to play for this upcoming season. Their hearts will be heavy after the news that one of their all-time greats has passed away.
“He Set The Standard” Vikings’ All-Time Great Tragically Passes Away (Breaking)
There has been a death in the NFL of one of the most durable players to ever hit the gridiron:
The Minnesota Vikings announced the passing of longtime defensive end Jim Marshall on Tuesday. A cause of death was not revealed, though the team said Marshall’s death came “following a lengthy hospitalization.” He was 87.
Marshall played 19 of his 20 NFL seasons with the Vikings, joining them after being traded by the Cleveland Browns in 1961, which also happened to be Minnesota’s inaugural season. Along with Gary Larsen and Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, Marshall formed the famed “Purple People Eaters” defensive line, a unit that helped drive the team to four Super Bowl berths between the 1969 and 1976 seasons − still the Vikings’ only appearances on Super Sunday, though they lost all four times.
A perennial team captain, Marshall started 270 consecutive regular-season games, second only to Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre (297) in NFL history. The 282 consecutive games Marshall played are the most ever by a defensive player in league annals. The Ohio State product’s 29 fumble recoveries were also a record at the time of his retirement following the 1979 season.
The #Vikings family mourns the loss of Legend Jim Marshall.
Marshall set the standard for what it meant to be a Minnesota Viking, starting 270 consecutive games, appearing in 4 Super Bowls and serving as team captain for 14 consecutive seasons. https://t.co/o2avKghyWG pic.twitter.com/XOU4etfuWI
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 3, 2025
“The entire Minnesota Vikings organization is mourning the loss of Jim Marshall,” read a statement from the Wilf family, owners of the team. “No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie and passion more than the all-time iron man.
A cornerstone of the franchise from the beginning, Captain Jim’s unmatched durability and quiet leadership earned the respect of teammates and opponents throughout his 20-year career. Jim led by example, and there was no finer example for others to follow.
His impact on the Vikings was felt long after he left the field. Jim will always be remembered as a tremendous player and person. Our hearts are with his wife, Susan, and all of Jim’s loved ones.”
However despite Marshall’s lengthy service, membership on one of the league’s most vaunted D-lines, two Pro Bowl nods and 130½ career sacks (all unofficial as they weren’t recognized until 1982), it was a legendary mistake that perhaps brought him the most attention.
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