Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, L.C. Greenwood Are Senior HoF Finalists

The stage is set and five nominees for possible Pro Football Hall of Fame immortality were announced earlier today.

Three of our Alumni brothers were named Senior finalists for the Class of 2026: Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and the late L.C. Greenwood.

In addition, the Patriots’ Robert Kraft was listed in the Owner category and Bill Belichick is the Coaching finalist.

According to Hall of Fame by-laws, these five individuals now compete against each other in the voting to be members of the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The maximum number who can be selected from this group is three. If no one receives the required 80% vote from the Selection Committee at its annual meeting prior to Super Bowl LX, the individual who has the most support from the voters will be elected.

The three Senior finalists all have outstanding credentials:

• Ken Anderson played his entire career (1971-86) with the Bengals after being a third-round pick in the ’71 Draft. He became the team’s fulltime QB starter in his second season. Anderson played 192 games for them and finished with four Pro Bowl nominations and the 1981 NFL MVP award. He passed for 32,838 yards and 197 TDs.
• Roger Craig was the first NFL player to rush for 1,000 yards and have 1,000 yards receiving in the same season (1985). The 11-year running back (1983-93) was the 49ers second round choice in the ’83 Draft. He played there through 1990 and later played for the Raiders (1991)  and Vikings (1992-93). He was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1988.
• The late L.C.Greenwood won four Super Bowls as a member of the Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense in the 1970s. He played his entire 13-year career (1969-81) in Pittsburgh after being drafted out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff on the 10^th round in 1969. He was selected to six Pro Bowls. Greenwood died in 2013 at age 67.

In addition to the above nominees, there currently are 26 Modern Era Players still under consideration for the 2026 Class. This group will be reduced to 15 later this month. A maximum of five and minimum of three Modern Era players eventually will be announced on February 5, 2026 as part of the Super Bowl LX Weekend in San Francisco.