Pro Football Hall of Fame: Former MVP Ken Anderson headlines list of 34 senior candidates for 2026 induction
Each of these players has gotten one step closer to Canton, Ohio
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
2 min read
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has made it to the next round of votes while whittling down the list of senior candidates for possible 2026 induction from 52 to 34 candidates.
Among those who made the latest cut is former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, a former league MVP who led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 1981 season. Anderson is one of three former quarterbacks who retired at least 25 years ago who are still eligible for induction.
The 1981 NFL MVP, Anderson twice led the NFL in both passing yards and completion percentage. In the 1981 AFC title game, he out-dueled Chargers Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts while helping the Bengals win the coldest game in NFL history (in terms of wind chill).
"It would be tremendous," Anderson told CBS Sports in 2022 when asked about possibly being inducted into the Hall of Fame. "When you grow up in Batavia, Illinois, and you go to Augustana College, it was a stretch to dream about playing in the NFL, let alone thinking about someday thinking about being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It would be quite an honor. You don't want to look ahead too far, but I'm very humbled to even be in consideration."
Anderson is one of 19 offensive players who make up the list of 34 senior nominees. There are also 14 defensive player and one former special teams standout.
Quarterbacks (3): Ken Anderson, Charlie Conerly, Roman Gabriel
Running backs (4): Roger Craig, Chuck Foreman, Cecil Isbell, Paul "Tank" Younger
Wide receivers/tight ends (7): Isaac Curtis, Lavvie Dilweg, Henry Ellard, Harold Jackson, Stanley Morgan, Art Powell, Otis Taylor
Offensive linemen: (5): Joe Jacoby, Mike Kenn, Bob Kuechenberg, Jim Tyrer, Al Wistert
Defensive linemen (2): L.C. Greenwood, Jim Marshall
Linebackers (6): Carl Banks, Maxie Baughan, Larry Grantham, Lee Roy Jordan, Clay Matthews Jr., Tommy Nobis
Defensive backs (6): Dick Anderson, Bobby Boyd, Albert Lewis, Eddie Meador, Lemar Parrish, Everson Walls
Special teams (1): Steve Tasker
Of this list, nine former players will ultimately be selected as semifinalists in a vote that is slated to take place sometime over the next month. From there, three senior nominees will be selected as finalists for possible induction.
The final Hall of Fame vote -- which also includes modern era players and coach and contributor -- typically takes place during Super Bowl week, with that year's Hall of Fame class being revealed during NFL Honors.
