INDIANAPOLIS — Two former Indianapolis Colts stars are among 15 players named as finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026.
Wide receiver Reggie Wayne and kicker Adam Vinatieri were announced Tuesday as finalists in the Modern-Era Players category, bringing them one step closer to enshrinement in Canton.
Wayne, who played his entire 14-season career with Indianapolis from 2001-2014, is a finalist for the seventh time in his seventh year of eligibility. The New Orleans native caught 1,070 passes for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns during his Colts career.
Wayne helped the Colts reach the postseason 11 times and was a key contributor to the team's Super Bowl XLI victory, catching two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown in the win. He recorded 1,000 receiving yards eight times and caught 100 passes in four different seasons.
The six-time Pro Bowl selection led the NFL with a career-high 1,510 receiving yards in 2007 and was named first-team All-Pro in 2010.
Vinatieri, in his second year of eligibility, spent 14 of his 24 NFL seasons with Indianapolis from 2006-2019. The South Dakota native holds numerous NFL records, including career points (2,673), career field goals (599), and consecutive field goals made (44).
Before joining the Colts, Vinatieri won three Super Bowl titles with New England, including game-winning field goals in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII. He added a fourth Super Bowl ring with Indianapolis when the Colts defeated Chicago in Super Bowl XLI.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee can elect up to five Modern-Era Players for the Class of 2026, with each candidate needing at least 80% of the vote for enshrinement.
The class will be announced February 5 during "NFL Honors" in San Francisco, with enshrinement taking place August 8 in Canton.
