The 2026 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame inched closer to having a former Indianapolis Colts player (and current coach) among it. The finalists for next year's group were announced on Tuesday, and former wide receiver Reggie Wayne was included. It's about time. So was kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Wayne played with the Colts from 2001 through 2014, amassing 14,345 yards receiving, 82 touchdowns, and making six Pro Bowls, and was named Associated Press First-Team All-Pro once (2010). Was he among the best wide receivers of his era? Absolutely.
That should be the key to the criteria of being inducted. If a player puts up a bunch of huge numbers over a long career, but wasn't ever among the best at any point in his career, he should be enshrined in immortality. With Wayne, Colts fans don't have to worry about that.
Indianapolis Colts Reggie Wayne and Adam Vinatieri named finalists for 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class
What Indy fans should be worried about is why it is taking so long for the team's current wide receivers coach to get inducted. He should already be in, and he was first available for induction in 2020. This might imply he won't get in.
This year will be difficult, too. The announcement from the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday included 15 "finalists." The term is misleading. The true final group that gets inducted will be no more than five and no fewer than three. Plus, before we get to the 3-5 players to be enshrined in 2026, voters will pare the list of 15 down to 10, and then seven.
In other words, there is still a way to go. Wayne will have to overcome some tough competition in the group, too. Other receivers include Larry Fitzgerald, Torry Holt, and tight end Jason Witten. If voters look at a specific group and then pare down from there, Wayne could be the odd man out.
As far as Vinatieri goes, he should be a shoo-in. He holds the records for field goals attempted with 715, and, more importantly, field goals made (599). He played for the Indianapolis Colts for 14 seasons between 2006 and 2019. He has the franchise record for points with 1,515.
One player who appeared in two seasons with the Colts no longer has a chance to be a finalist for 2026. That would be Philip Rivers, who reset his eligibility for induction for five more years when he came back to play for Indianapolis this season. He will next be eligible in 2030.