Manning, Woodson, Megatron headline 15 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists
The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed the 15 finalists for the 2021 class Tuesday.
The group is highlighted by Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Charles Woodson, and Jared Allen, who all made the cut in their first year of eligibility.
Ronde Barber and Clay Matthews Jr. are also first-time finalists, though both were previously eligible for the Hall of Fame. Matthews has been eligible for 20 years, the longest among this year's finalists.
John Lynch tops all former players on the list with his eighth appearance as a finalist.
The 15 finalists are:
- Peyton Manning, QB
- Calvin Johnson, WR
- Torry Holt, WR
- Reggie Wayne, WR
- Tony Boselli, OT
- Alan Faneca, G
- Zach Thomas, LB
- Clay Matthews Jr., LB
- Sam Mills, LB
- Richard Seymour, DL
- Jared Allen, DE
- Charles Woodson, DB
- Ronde Barber, DB
- John Lynch, S
- LeRoy Butler, S
The Hall of Fame committee will elect up to five former players, and the 2021 class of inductees will be announced before Super Bowl LV in February.
Tom Flores (coaching category), Bill Nunn (contributors category), and Drew Pearson (seniors category) are also candidates for the class of 2021.