Three senior candidates for 2026 Pro Football HOF enshrinement

A day after 52 modern-era gamers, led by quarterback Drew Brees and extensive receiver Larry Fitzgerald, moved alongside within the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame voting course of, NFL senior members bought their due.

On Thursday, NFL.com shared that 34 senior players, outlined as those that final performed within the NFL earlier than 2000, have been chosen by members of the Corridor of Fame’s Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee to advance to the subsequent spherical of voting for doable enshrinement within the 2026 class.

Of the 34, 9 will advance to the semifinal spherical. From there, three are picked to go on the ultimate poll that decides the subsequent batch of gold jacket recipients. Beneath, we take a better take a look at who these ought to be.

Operating again Roger Craig (1983-93)

Dynamic Atlanta Falcons operating again Bijan Robinson is on tempo to grow to be the fourth participant in NFL historical past with 1,000 dashing and receiving yards in a single season. The primary? Former San Francisco 49ers operating again Roger Craig, who achieved the feat in 1985, solely to be overshadowed that yr by league MVP Marcus Allen and runner-up Walter Payton.

That was a recurring theme throughout Craig’s profession. Whereas one of many high Tremendous Bowl performers of all time, rating third in yards from scrimmage (410) and tied for fourth in scrimmage touchdowns (4), he break up backfield duties in Tremendous Bowl XIX with Wendell Tyler, every gaining 135 yards from scrimmage. In Tremendous Bowls XXIII and XXIV, Corridor of Fame extensive receiver Jerry Rice stole the present with 18 receptions, 363 yards (20.2 yards per reception) and 4 touchdowns, whereas Craig chipped in with 137.5 yards per sport.

His manufacturing waned after seven consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage to start his profession, with Craig averaging 391 yards and three.5 yards per carry over his remaining 4 seasons, break up between the 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders and Minnesota Vikings. However for almost all of the Eighties, he was one of many league’s finest dual-threat operating backs, even being honored with inclusion on the Corridor of Fame’s All-Eighties staff. As of 2025, he is the one skill-position participant from the All-Decade staff not enshrined in Canton.

Broad receiver Henry Ellard (1983-98)

Ellard is a check case in practising persistence. The 1983 second-rounder (No. 32 total) did not eclipse 1,000 receiving yards over his first 5 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams — he did obtain 1984 first-team All-Professional honors as a particular groups ace — however completed his 16-year NFL profession with 13,777 receiving yards, which ranks fifteenth in league historical past.

Ellard, who additionally performed for Washington and the New England Patriots, is one among 20 gamers all-time with a minimum of 800 receptions and 13,000 receiving yards. The three-time Professional Bowler averaged 16.9 yards per reception throughout his profession, the best all-time amongst 42 gamers with 800 profession receptions or extra. He additionally redefined what was doable for getting older wideouts, turning into the primary receiver with three 1,000-yard seasons after turning 33.

Defensive finish L.C. Greenwood (1969-81)

Greenwood spent his complete 13-year NFL profession as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed “Metal Curtain.” He holds the report for many sacks in Tremendous Bowl historical past, ending his profession with 5 in 4 video games. He totaled 12.5 playoff sacks total, tied with Terrell Suggs for the fifth most in NFL historical past. (h/t Stathead)

Amongst 45 offensive and defensive gamers named to the Corridor of Fame’s All-Seventies staff, Greenwood is one among solely 4 who have not made it into the Corridor. A constant defender all through his profession, it is previous time for that oversight to be corrected.