Safety Rodney Harrison, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, and kicker Adam Vinatieri were named as three of the 26 semifinalists in the running to enter Canton as part of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. Harrison, Wilfork, and Vinatieri were also tabbed as semifinalists last season, with Harrison advancing all the way to the final round before once again coming up short. The selection committee will next reduce the list to 15 finalists, who will be voted on before the Super Bowl in February.
Only 57 players-not linemen, players-have appeared in more games than Kenn did during his three decade-spanning career, and only five of those players are offensive linemen. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time first-team All-Pro, and a three-time second-team All-pro who started every one of the 251 games he appeared in for the Falcons, and was known for his ability to handle some of the legendary defensive ends of the 70s and 80s.
The main engineer of the New England Patriots' dynasty, at least from a player standpoint, is Tom Brady. The legendary quarterback will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and there's no question the Patriots would not have their six Lombardi Trophies if not for him. However, it takes a village to win in professional sports, and both segments of the Patriots' dynasty had a sizable village surrounding Brady. And there are two key figures in the success of those teams
Art Monk retired as the NFL's leading receiver with 940 catches. Nobody else who plays for the franchise will wear that jersey number. The Commanders announced Tuesday that they are retiring the number Monk wore from 1980 until 1993, becoming the sixth player to have their number retired by the team. Monk retired after the 1995 season as the all-time leading receiver, now ranked 24th, and set a then single-season record with 106 receptions in 1984.