Three Titans Make Next Round of Hall of Fame Voting
The Pro Football Hall of Fame released its list of 52 modern-era players to make it to the next stage of the selection process for the 2026 class. Three former Tennessee Titans have made it through: Running back Eddie George, placekicker Gary Anderson and fullback Lorenzo Neal.
George goes all the way back to the Houston Oilers days when he was drafted No. 14 overall in the 1996 NFL Draft out of Ohio State University. Not only do his career numbers hold up to Hall of Fame standards, he of course passed the eyeball test as well. George was an absolutely bruising running back who nearly defined the term “bell cow.”
In nine years in the NFL, George ran for 10,441 yards, 68 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving touchdowns. All were with the Titans outside of his final year in 2004 with the Dallas Cowboys.
Anderson and Neal have a tougher road ahead to make Hall of Fame
Anderson absolutely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He kicked for 23 years in the NFL for crying out loud beginning with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1982 and finishing with the Titans in 2004.
Over the course of his lengthy career, Anderson also kicked for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings. Remember 1998? Anderson was 100% on his field goals all season and then the NFC Championship Game happened and he missed the most important kick of the season. Rough break, but he was still first-team All Pro that year and that one kick won’t keep him out of the Hall (although it’s going to be tough as a kicker regardless).
Neal will have an even more difficult road than Anderson. He’s one of the best fullbacks of all time, but it’s really tough to measure the success of that position. It’s highly doubtful you’ll rack up many stats as the crux of the fullback’s job is doing the dirty work. Maybe his work on the Music City Miracle will help?
List of final 52 to make it to the Selection Committee for Hall of Fame
The full list of the players who made it through the initial cut are right here
(*-Finalist (final 15) for the Class of 2025. Underline indicates first year of eligibility.)
QUARTERBACKS (3): Drew Brees, *Eli Manning, Philip Rivers.
RUNNING BACKS (8): Warrick Dunn, Eddie George, Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy, Lorenzo Neal (FB), *Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters.
WIDE RECEIVERS (7): Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, *Torry Holt, Jimmy Smith, *Steve Smith Sr., Hines Ward, *Reggie Wayne.
TIGHT ENDS (2): Greg Olsen, Jason Witten.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (12): *Willie Anderson (T), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), *Jahri Evans (G), Olin Kreutz (C), Nick Mangold (C), Logan Mankins (G), Maurkice Pouncey (C), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), *Marshal Yanda (G).
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (6): John Abraham (DE also LB), Robert Mathis (DE), Haloti Ngata (DT), Simeon Rice (DE), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT).
LINEBACKERS (4): London Fletcher, James Harrison, *Luke Kuechly, *Terrell Suggs.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (6): Rodney Harrison (S), Asante Samuel (CB), Earl Thomas (S), Charles Tillman (CB), Troy Vincent (CB), *Darren Woodson (S).
PUNTERS/KICKERS (3): Gary Anderson (K), Shane Lechler (P), *Adam Vinatieri (K).
SPECIAL TEAMS (1): Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB).
Riq Woolen's replacement might be on the horizon even before Seahawks trade him
The writing truly appears to be on the wall for Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen, regardless of how much we are seeing him play as of late. This is a situation that's been brewing for a very long time, at this stage, and fans wouldn't be shocked, in the least, to see him moved by the NFL trade deadline.
That November 4 deadline is approaching quickly and fans are embracing for a likely deal, but there are some questions needing to be answered. First of all, what will the Seahawks be able to get in exchange? Will it be good enough to let him go and risk losing out on a compensatory pick next spring?
Secondly, who replaces Woolen? If he isn't on the roster already, this might be a situation where Seattle makes another deal. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen list New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor as a trade possibility, along with the Seahawks being a fit.
Could the Seahawks make a pair of cornerback trades to finally let go of their Riq Woolen conundrum?
In the last year of his contract, Woolen will likely fetch a decent comp pick if he were to stick it out this season in Seattle and sign elsewhere come next March. So, this is a strong possibility for the team. But, if they wanted to get out of having to deal with his inconsistent play, dealing him for a good-enough pick is also on the table.
Taylor, meanwhile, is going to be tough to pry away from New Orleans, as Fowler and Bowen believe he's got only a 25 percent chance of being dealt. Yet, the Saints are also a team that needs as many assets as they can possibly get, going into the future.
The Saints have been financially-irresponsible for quite some time, and draft capital is the best way to relieve that pain.
He is a talented cornerback and turns 27 in December. That gives him plenty of football left, but will the Saints want to commit to him on a long-term deal? They could potentially rely on the other youngsters they've got.
"Taylor is a 2026 free agent who figures to earn a big payday, and it's worth noting that the Saints have a young core of defensive backs they like in Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley and Jonas Sanker," Fowler wrote.
Back to Seattle, who would prepare to roll with Josh Jobe and Devon Witherspoon (when healthy) on the outside. They also have rookie Nick Emmanwori who can man the slot.
And, funny enough, Woolen seems to be getting praise from head coach Mike Macdonald lately, so maybe he sticks around. Or, maybe that's just a coach trying to sell other teams on Woolen. We'll have to wait and see.
This seems like it could be a long shot, but don't rule out the possibility of Woolen being on his way out and a player like Taylor taking his place.
