By rssfeeds-admin 
At the top of the list, which was released Wednesday morning, are wide receiver Reggie Wayne and placekicker Adam Vinatieri, and they’re joined by two other long-time club standouts: defensive end Robert Mathis and center Jeff Saturday.
Others with significant or casual ties to the Colts are quarterback Philip Rivers, who led the team to the playoffs in 2020, his only season with Indy; running back Frank Gore, who had 2,953 of his 16,000 career rushing yards (No. 3 in NFL history) in three years with the Colts; return specialist Josh Cribbs, with the Colts in 2014, and defensive end Simeon Rice, who was with the team in 2007.
Wayne and Vinatieri are back for another shot at enshrinement in Canton, Ohio.
Wayne is in his seventh year of eligibility and has reached the Final 15 in each of his first six years. Vinatieri joined him as a Finalist last year in what was his first year of eligibility. Since he advanced to the Final 10, Vinatieri automatically is part of this year’s Final 15, along with wideout Torry Holt, offensive tackle Willie Anderson and linebacker Luke Kuechly.
Wayne and Jerry Rice are the only players in NFL history who rank in the top 10 in receptions and yards in the regular season and postseason. The Colts’ current receivers coach ranks No. 10 in the regular season with 1,070 catches and 14,345 yards. In the postseason, he ranks No. 6 in catches (93) and No. 7 in yards (1,254).
Wayne was an integral part of the Colts reaching two Super Bowls and winning a world championship after the 2006 season.
Vinatieri holds virtually every all-time kicking record in the regular season and the playoffs. He’s a four-time Super Bowl champion – three with New England, one with the Colts – and generated 2,673 points in 24 seasons and 365 regular-season games and 238 points in the playoffs.
He spent his final 14 seasons with the Colts and retired in 2019 as their all-time scoring leader with 1,515 points.
Mathis holds the club record with 123 sacks – that’s tied-20th in NFL history – and the league record with 52 forced fumbles.
Saturday was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and was named to six Pro Bowls.
Mathis and Saturday also helped the Colts to two Super Bowls and the win over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
The list of 128 Modern-Era players includes 13 eligible for the first time, most notably quarterbacks Drew Brees and Rivers, Gore and wideout Larry Fitzgerald.
The next step of the process has a Screening Committee reducing the list to 50, plus any ties, which will be announced in mid-October.
The full 50-person Selection Committee – I am a member – then pares that list to 25 Semifinalists. Another subsequent vote arrives at the Final 15, which will be discussed by the Selection Committee prior to Super Bowl LX.
A minimum of three and maximum of five Modern-Era players will be included in the Class of 2026.
The Modern-Era candidates (x – indicates first year of eligibility; y – indicates a Finalist from 2025):
Quarterbacks: Drew Brees-x, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Eli Manning-y, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, Philip Rivers-x, Alex Smith-x.
Running backs: Shaun Alexander, Mike Alstott, Tiki Barber, Larry Centers, Jamaal Charles, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Arian Foster, Eddie George, Frank Gore-x, Priest Holmes, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy-x, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), Lorenzo Neal, Fred Taylor-y, Ricky Watters.
Wide receivers: Anquan Boldin, Donald Driver, Larry Fitzgerald-x, Torry Holt-y, Chad Johnson, Brandon Lloyd, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith Sr.-y, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne-y, Wes Welker, Roddy White.
Tight ends: Vernon Davis, Zach Miller, Greg Olsen-x, Wesley Walls, Delanie Walker, Jason Witten-x.
Offensive linemen: T Willie Anderson-y, C Matt Birk, T Lomas Brown, G Ruben Brown, T Ryan Clady, G David DeCastro, G Jahri Evans-y, T Jordan Gross, C Ryan Kalil, C Olin Kreutz, C Nick Mangold, G Logan Mankins, C Tom Nalen, C Maurkice Pouncey, C Jeff Saturday, G Josh Sitton, T Joe Staley, G Brian Waters, T Richmond Webb, T Erik Williams, G Steve Wisniewski, G Marshal Yanda-y.
Defensive linemen: E/LB John Abraham, T Geno Atkins-x, T Jurrell Casey-x, C Elvis Dumervil, T La’Roi Glover, E Robert Mathis, T Haloti Ngata, E Jay Ratliff, E Simeon Rice, E Justin Smith, T Ted Washington, T Vince Wilfork, T Kevin Williams.
Linebackers: NaVorro Bowman, Lance Briggs, Tedy Bruschi, Thomas Davis-x, James Farrior, London Fletcher, James Harrison, A.J. Hawk, Luke Kuechly-y, Clay Matthews III, Dat Nguyen, Takeo Spikes, Terrell Suggs-y, Lee Woodall.
Defensive backs: S Eric Berry, S Kam Chancellor, S Nick Collins (S), DB DeAngelo Hall, S Rodney Harrison, CB James Hasty, DB Carnell Lake, DB Allen Rossum, CB Asante Samuel, CB Patrick Surtain, S Earl Thomas, CB Charles Tillman, CB Troy Vincent, S Adrian Wilson, S Darren Woodson-y.
Kickers/punters: K David Akers, K Gary Anderson, K Jason Hanson, K John Kasay, P Sean Landeta, P Shane Lechler, K Adam Vinatieri-y.
Special teams: KR/PR Josh Cribbs, KR/PR/RB Brian Mitchell.
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