9 former Patriots advance to next round of Pro Football Hall of Fame voting

Voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 has moved onto the next stage. On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame announced 52 players have moved on to the next round of voting, including nine former members of the New England Patriots.

That group of former Patriots ranges from players who were franchise cornerstone to some who were only in New England briefly. They are...

RB Fred Taylor*
WR Torry Holt*
WR Reggie Wayne*
G Logan Mankins
DT Vince Wilfork
LB James Harrison
CB Asante Samuel
S Rodney Harrison
K Adam Vinatieri*
^{*Player was a finalist for last year's class}

Vinatieri is the main player to watch when looking at who could be the 12th player to represent the Patriots in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the league's all-time leading scorer, and hit some of the most significant kicks in NFL history during his time with the Patriots from 1996-2005. He was a surprise omission from last year's class, which was his first year on the ballot.

Harrison and Wilfork have also been viewed as snubs in recent years. We've highlighted Harrison's case before, you can find that here. Wilfork's case is more about the impact he had on the players around him than what he showed in the box score, making his situation similar to that of another former Patriots defensive tackle in Richard Seymour - somebody who had to wait a few years before getting in.

Mankins also has among the stronger cases of the players on this list. He was a six-time All-Pro and a member of the NFL's All-Decade 2010s team. It's been tougher for guards to get in than tackles in the past, which could impact him.

As for the players who weren't lifelong Patriots, Holt is the most interesting. He had a brief stop in Patriots training camp late in his career, but before that he was a main part of the then-St. Louis Rams' Greatest Show on Turf offense. No player in the NFL had more catches (868) or receiving yards (12,594) during the 00s decade, and he ranked 5th most in touchdowns (68). His running mate from those Rams teams, Isaac Bruce, is already enshrined.

Meanwhile, 11 former Patriots did not make this cut after appearing on the initial list of nominees. Notable names from that group include running back Corey Dillon and wide receiver Wes Welker. Those players will be eligibile to return to the ballot again next year.

As for the nine that made the cut, they'll be up for another round of voting as this list is cut down to 25 semifinalists next month. After that it's cut down to the finalists group, before players are placed on the final ballot for the Class of 2026 along with the finalists from the Coaches, Contributors, and Seniors committees. From there, up to eight individuals are selected to be the Class of 2026, which will be announced in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

Along with those nine players, former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is also in this year of balloting. Belichick was announced as one of 12 individuals to move on in the coaches committee voting on Tuesday.