The Pro Football Hall of Fame took another step forward in narrowing down the candidates for enshrinement into Canton next year, and a few former Chicago Bears players made the cut. One month after releasing their Modern-Era nomination list of 128 players, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that 52 players had advanced to the next round.
Four ex-Bears players are among those 52, including tight end Greg Olsen, offensive linemen Ruben Brown and Olin Kreutz, and cornerback Charles Tillman.
Olsen, in his first year of eligibility, was drafted by the Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played in Chicago from 2007 through 2010 before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. Tillman, meanwhile, advances to the next stage of voting for the first time in his career.
A second-round pick in 2003, Tillman spent 12 years with the Bears and became known for his ability to force fumbles at an unprecedented rate. Brown and Kreutz anchored the Bears’ offensive line in the 2000s and have advanced to the next stage of Pro Football Hall of Fame voting in the past. Other notable NFL players include quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, tight end Jason Witten, and kicker Adam Vinatieri.
One former Bear who did not advance, however, is linebacker Lance Briggs. A seven-time Pro Bowler and former First-Team All-Pro player, Briggs was part of one of the best linebacker duos in NFL history with Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher. He spent 12 years with the Bears, forced 35 turnovers, and played a pivotal role in their success during the 2000s and early 2010s.
The Hall of Fame will narrow the list down to around two-dozen semifinalists in November before revealing the finalists in December. The class of 2026 will be announced at the NFL Honors ceremony prior to Super Bowl LX.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 4 former Bears named Modern-Era candidates for Hall of Fame, plus one snub
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
