"Roger Craig, a key part of the 49ers' dynasty in the 1980s, and two of the pillars in the New England Patriots' dynasty Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft are among the finalists for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Craig, former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson and former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman L.C. Greenwood were the three seniors candidates advancing to the final stage in results announced Wednesday. Belichick was picked as the coaching candidate and Kraft was picked as the contributor."
"FILE New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he celebrates after the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in NFL Super Bowl XLIX football game Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) Former 49ers coaches George Seifert, Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren were among the candidates that did not advance. The members of the 50-person selection committee can vote for three of the finalists under rules put in place last year with candidates needing 80% of the votes to make it into the Hall. A maximum of three candidates can reach that threshold. If no candidate gets 80%, the top vote getter will be elected."
"The committee will also vote on 15 modern era finalists, including former 49ers running back Frank Gore, that are still to be determined with between three and five of those candidates guaranteed to get into the Hall. Craig also was a key part of the title-winning teams in San Francisco in the 1984, 1988 and 1989 seasons. His 410 yards from scrimmage in those Super Bowl wins are the third-most ever behind Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Franco Harris. Craig was the first player ever to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season, which happened in 1985, and he led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage in 1988. Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler for Cincinnati and won the MVP in 1981, when he helped the Bengals reach their first Super Bowl"
Roger Craig, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft are finalists for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame, with Craig among three senior candidates alongside Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood. Belichick is the coaching finalist and Kraft is the contributor finalist. A 50-person selection committee can vote for up to three finalists, with candidates needing 80% of votes for induction and a maximum of three electees; if none reach 80%, the top vote getter is elected. The committee will also decide among 15 modern-era finalists, including Frank Gore, with three to five guaranteed selections. Craig recorded historic dual-threat seasons and Super Bowl production, while Anderson earned MVP honors in 1981.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]