Roger Craig, Ken Anderson Among 34 Senior Nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Versatile running back Roger Craig, former MVP Ken Anderson and returning finalists Maxie Baughan and Jim Tyrer are among the 34 players who advanced to the next stage for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 in the seniors category.

A blue-ribbon committee reduced the list down from 52 nominees from a screening committee of players who last could have appeared in a professional football game in the 2000 season.

The committee will cut down the list to nine semifinalists and then three finalists who will advance to voting conducted before the Super Bowl in February. There also will be 15 modern-era finalists, one coach and one contributor for the Class of 2026. Between four and eight new members will be elected in the second year of this current format.

The candidates revealed Thursday also included 2024 finalist Art Powell, who fell short in the final voting that season.

Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler for Cincinnati and won the MVP in 1981, when he helped the Bengals reach their first Super Bowl before losing to San Francisco. When Anderson retired after the 1986 season, he ranked sixth all time with 32,838 yards passing and 13th with 197 TD passes.

Craig was a key part of San Francisco’s dynasty in the 1980s with his ability as a physical runner and as a receiver out of the backfield. Craig was the first player ever to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season, which happened in 1985, and he led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage in 1988 when he helped the 49ers win the Super Bowl.

Craig also was part of the title-winning teams in San Francisco in the 1984 and 1989 seasons. His 410 yards from scrimmage in those Super Bowl wins are the third-most ever behind Hall of Famers