Cincinnati Bengals legend Ken Anderson is vying for a senior nominee spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. His bid to finally get into Canton just got some good news, albeit of the very shocking variety.
According to ESPN, former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was not selected for this year’s class. Belichick, along with Anderson, was one of five senior nominees, and up to three will make it into Canton. The other three senior nominees are current Patriots owner Robert
Kraft, former San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig, and former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood.
While three nominees will likely make it, the selection committee only has to vote for one senior nominee to make it into this year’s class.
Still, with Belichick out of the running, that means Anderson is one of four nominees still in the running and has a much better chance of making it now. Voting for this year’s class has already taken place, and the official announcement of who made it will come on February 5 during the NFL Honors broadcast on NBC and the NFL Network.
Of course, there could be more leaks about who makes it before then, but for now, we’ll learn whether Anderson is going into Canton next week. Over his 16 NFL seasons, Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was named NFL MVP in 1981.
We also can’t forget about former Bengals offensive lineman Willie Anderson, who is among the 15 modern-era player finalists for this year’s Hall of Fame class. The selection committee may elect up to five modern-era players, and this is ironically the fifth time Anderson, regarded as one of the best right tackles in NFL history, is a finalist.
Will we see the Andersons make it into this year’s class? We’ll find out on February 5!
