Luke Kuechly, Bengals' Willie Anderson named Hall of Fame finalists

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Former Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson and Queen City native Luke Kuechly are among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. They join former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, who is a finalist in the senior category.

Willie Anderson and Kuechly, along with Torry Holt and Adam Vinatieri, were guaranteed spots after advancing to the final seven in voting for the 2025 class. There were six other returning finalists, with Eli Manning, Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshall Yanda, Terrell Suggs and Darren Woodson all making it back to this stage.

Defensive tackle Kevin Williams was also named a finalist for the first time in his sixth year of eligibility.

Anderson, who played 13 seasons in the NFL, was drafted in the first round by the Bengals in 1996. He earned four Pro Bowl selections and was a three-time First Team All-Pro.

Kuechly, a St. Xavier alum, played eight seasons for the Carolina Panthers. He was the 2012 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and the 2013 AP Defensive Player of the Year. The linebacker, who earned seven Pro Bowl nods and five First Team All-Pro selections, was also named a finalist in his first year of eligibility for the modern-era player class in 2024.

Kuechly was inducted into the St. Xavier Hall of Fame in 2021. He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Panthers.

Ken Anderson, the Bengals' all-time passing leader, was named a finalist in the senior category Dec. 3.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 inductees will be announced during the NFL Honors awards show Feb. 5 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

How does Pro Football Hall of Fame voting work?

The Pro Football Hall of Fame's 50-member selection committee will meet before Super Bowl 60 to consider the modern-era players in addition to finalists from the coach (Bill Belichick), contributor (Robert Kraft) and seniors (Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood) categories, to constitute the class that will be enshrined at Canton, Ohio, in early August.

The committee can elect up to five modern-day players for induction, provided each receives at least 80% of the final vote. In balloting separate from the modern-era player slate, the committee can elect up to three of the five finalists from the other categories.

The results of the voting and the newest Hall of Fame class will be revealed during the NFL Honors awards show Feb. 5 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

There is no set number of inductees, but the bylaws stipulate the class contains a minimum of four and a maximum of eight enshrinees. The Class of 2025 consisted of just four members – Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe – to mark the smallest class in 20 years.

As usual, the process will be rife with intense debate. While each of the first-ballot nominees carry impeccable credentials, wide receivers Holt and Wayne are finalists for the seventh time. Woodson, meanwhile, is a finalist for the fourth time – in his 18th year of eligibility.

Contributing: Jason Hoffman and Jarrett Bell.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Luke Kuechly, Bengals' Willie Anderson among 15 Hall of Fame finalists

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