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Fred Taylor not a finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026
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- Fred Taylor not a finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026
Fred Taylor is once again a Pro Football Hall of Fame snub.
After being one of the 15 finalists for the Class of 2024 and 2025, the Jacksonville Jaguars legend was not selected for the Class of 2026.
It was Taylor's seventh consecutive year as a semifinalist.
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Taylor became eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, making his first year of eligibility for the Class of 2018.
While Taylor's last game played was during the 2010 season, on Sept. 2, 2011, he signed a one-day contract with the Jaguars in order to formally retire from the team that had drafted him ninth overall in 1998.
An NFL player is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being retired for five full seasons, meaning they haven't been on an active roster for five consecutive years, opening a 20-season window (from 5 to 24 years retired) for Modern-Era consideration before potentially moving to the Senior Committee.
Taylor played 11 seasons with the Jaguars , where he rushed for 11,271 yards and scored 70 total touchdowns. Taylor made one Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro in 2007 as well.
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Taylor's 11,695 career rushing yards are the 18th-most in NFL history. He played 13 seasons in the NFL, the final two of which came with New England .
The Jaguars only have one player in the Hall of Fame, Tony Boselli, who was elected in 2022 after 16 years of eligibility.
Below is the list of the players who are 2026 Modern-Era finalists, along with the team where they spent most of their NFL careers:
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Drew Brees , quarterback ( New Orleans Saints )
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Willie Anderson, offensive tackle ( Cincinnati Bengals , Baltimore Ravens )
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Larry Fitzgerald , wide receiver ( Arizona Cardinals )
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Frank Gore , running back ( Indianapolis Colts , San Francisco 49ers )
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Jahri Evans , offensive guard ( New Orleans )
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Luke Kuechly , linebacker ( Carolina Panthers )
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Terrell Suggs , outside linebacker ( Baltimore Ravens )
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Eli Manning , quarterback ( New York Jets )
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Torry Holt, wide receiver (St. Louis Rams)
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Adam Vinatieri , kicker ( Patriots , Colts)
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Marshal Yanda , guard (Ravens)
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Darren Woodson, safety ( Dallas Cowboys )
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Kevin Williams , defensive tackle ( Minnesota Vikings )
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Jason Witten , tight end (Cowboys)
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Reggie Wayne, wide receiver (Colts)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Fred Taylor eligible for Modern-Era HOF consideration through 2037
