CANTON, Ohio — Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Anderson is among nine individuals to reach the semifinalist stage in the Seniors category.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee will meet Nov. 25 to determine three finalists. Those names and the names of the finalists in the Coach and Contributor categories will be announced in early December.
Anderson played all 16 years of his career for the Bengals from 1971 to 1986, was the NFL MVP in 1981 and led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl appearance in 1982.
He was inducted into the Bengals Ring of Honor in September 2021.
Each person in the Seniors category could have appeared in a pro football game no more recently than the 2000 season.
The other semifinalists include running back Roger Craig, wide receiver Henry Ellard, defensive end L.C. Greenwood, offensive lineman Joe Jacoby, cornerback Eddie Meador, wide receiver Stanley Morgan, special teams/wide receiver Steve Tasker and wide receiver Otis Taylor.
The Modern-Era category semifinalists are expected to be announced next week.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 will be announced at "NFL Honors" in San Francisco in February.
The class will be enshrined next August in Canton.
Automatic finalists in the modern category include former Bengals offensive tackle offensive tackle Willie Anderson and former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, a 2009 St. Xavier High School graduate.
Anderson along with former Bengals players Isaac Curtis and Lemar Parrish were nominated in early October in the Seniors category.
