Dawgs By Nature
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the modern-era players nominated for the Class of 2026 on Wednesday, and there are two former Cleveland Browns legends on the list.
Among the 128 players under consideration for enshrinement are Eric Metcalf, who played for the Browns from 1989 through 1994, and Josh Cribbs, who played for the Browns from 2005 through 2012.
The Browns selected Metcalf in the first round of the 1989 NFL Draft. A multi-threat running back and kick returner, Metcalf had 11 rushing touchdowns, 15 receiving touchdowns, and seven touchdowns on kick returns while in Cleveland.
Metcalf rushed for 2,229 yards in Cleveland (ranking No. 15 on the franchise’s all-time list); had 297 receptions (No. 11 on the all-time list) for 2,732 yards; had 1,341 yards in punt returns (No. 4 on the all-time list) and five punt returns for a touchdown (tops in team history); and 2,806 yards on kickoff returns and two kickoff returns for touchdowns, both third-best in franchise history.
Metcalf would make the Pro Bowl following the 1993 and 1994 seasons, and be a First Team All-Pro selection in 1993.
Cleveland traded Metcalf to the Atlanta Falcons after the 1994 season. He would play seven more years with six different teams after leaving the Browns, and retired with 17,230 all-purpose yards, 18th-most in league history, and 10 punt returns for touchdowns, ranking No. 2 in NFL history.
Cribbs signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005. A quarterback in college at Kent State, Cribbs transitioned into one of the best return men in NFL history during his eight seasons with the Browns.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Cribbs had three kick return touchdowns in 2007 and 2009. At the time of his retirement, he held 11 franchise records, and had 11 kick returns for touchdowns with the Browns (eight on punts and three on kickoffs), 10,015 kickoff return yards (tops in franchise history and 6,830 yards ahead of second-place Dino Hall), and 2,154 punt return yards (tops in franchise history).
Cribbs retired after the 2014 NFL season with the third-most return yards in league history (13,488), third-most kickoff return yards (11,113), and the fifth-most return touchdowns (11).
There are 13 players in their first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, including quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and tight ends Greg Olsen and Jason Witten.
The hall’s screening committee will now reduce the list to 50 players, with the results of that step announced in mid-October.
