CINCINNATI — Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson is one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Anderson is one of five individuals to reach the finalist stage across three categories for possible election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 presented by Visual Edge IT.
The hall of fame announced Wednesday morning the five finalists including Robert Kraft (Contributor) and Bill Belichick (Coach) along with Roger Craig, Anderson and the late L.C. Greenwood (Seniors).
The remaining bar to clear is approval from at least 80% of the members from a selection committee early next year.
For the second year, finalists from these categories are competing directly against each other under bylaws the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors approved in 2024.
Each member of the selection committee may vote for only three of the five finalists. A maximum of three of this year’s finalists can be elected. If none of the five individuals receives 80% approval, then the individual who receives the most support would be elected.
This is Anderson's third time as a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist. He was also a finalist in 1996 and 1998.
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 had four Pro Bowl appearances and 32,838 passing yards and 197 passing touchdowns.
Anderson 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.
Kraft, the owner, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the New England Patriots since 1994, has seen the team win six Super Bowls and play in four others.
Belichick, the University of North Carolina head coach, had a nearly five-decade career in the NFL. He finished his NFL head coaching career with a 333-178 record – second only to Hall of Famer Don Shula’s 347 career wins.
Craig may be best known as the first player in the NFL to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season (1985). Craig won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. He had 13,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 73 touchdowns. He was named the league’s offensive player of the year in 1988.
Greenwood was a member of the famous “Steel Curtain” defensive units in the 1970s. He played his entire 170-game career over 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Greenwood won four Super Bowl rings, was named a first-team All-Pro defensive end twice and was selected to play in six Pro Bowls. He was credited with 78 sacks (an unofficial stat during his playing career) and 14 fumble recoveries.
The Modern-Era players category will have 15 finalists later this month through the Pro Football Hall of Fame and on NFL Network. That list includes automatic finalists Willie Anderson (former Bengals offensive tackle) and Luke Kuechly (Carolina Panthers/St. Xavier graduate).
When the selection committee meets, a minimum of three and a maximum of five Modern-Era players will comprise the new class along with the finalists from the pool of Coach/Contributor/Seniors candidates.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 will be announced Feb. 5 during the “NFL Honors” show in San Francisco. The enshrinement ceremony is set for Aug. 8 in Canton.
