CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Bengals legend Willie Anderson and former St. Xavier High School standout Luke Kuechly are once again finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Fifteen finalists in the Modern-Era Players category for the 2026 class were announced Tuesday.
Anderson is a finalist for the fifth year.
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The Bengals drafted Anderson in 1996 with the 10th pick in the first round. He was a second-team All-American his junior year at Auburn.
Anderson played with the Bengals through 2007 before playing one year with the Baltimore Ravens in 2008.
He was a first-team All-Pro from 2004 to 2006 and played in four Pro Bowls. He was inducted into the Bengals Ring of Honor in 2022 with wide receiver Isaac Curtis.
This is Kuechly’s second time as a finalist.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Kuechly played all of his eight seasons in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers.
In 2012, the linebacker won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
One year later, the former St. X standout was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Kuechly made five All-Pro teams in his eight seasons. He was also a seven-time Pro Bowler.
Kuechly was named to the 2010s All-Decade team.
The Cincinnati native announced his retirement in 2020.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 will be announced at “NFL Honors” in San Francisco in February and will be enshrined in August in Canton.
Another former Bengals great, Ken Anderson, is one of the three finalists for the Seniors category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
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