Steelers Now
Four former members of the Pittsburgh Steelers have advanced in the voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the hall announced on Wednesday.
Kicker Gary Anderson, outside linebacker James Harrison, center Maurkice Pouncey, and wide receiver Hines Ward were all among the 52 players to advance in the voting out of 128 nominees. That list will be further trimmed to 25 semifinalists in five weeks.
Four other former Steelers did not advance in the voting: guard David DeCastro, inside linebacker James Farrior, strong safety Carnell Lake and cornerback/kick returner Allen Rossum
Pouncey advanced in his first season of eligibility. Harrison and Ward were both semifinalists for the Class of 2025, Harrison for the second time and Ward for the ninth time. Anderson was nominated in 2025, but did not advance in the process last year.
Ward has been a semifinalist for nine consecutive years, but has never advanced beyond that stage in the voting process. Harrison is eligible for a fourth time, and has been a semifinalist twice.
Anderson spent 13 seasons kicking with the Steelers from 1982-94 and is the team’s all-time leading scorer with 1,343 points. He’s the only Pittsburgh player to score more than 1,000 career points and is also the team’s leader in career field goals made (309) and points after touchdown (416). He was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro member of the NFL’s 1980s and 1990s All-Decade Teams.
Pouncey was the Steelers’ first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and spent all 11 seasons of his NFL career in Pittsburgh. A day-one starter, Pouncey started all 134 games in his career, and was a five-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler. He was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and was named to the Steelers Hall of Honor in 2025.
Harrison is one of the team’s most legendary outside linebackers. Originally joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2002, it took him years to catch on with the squad full time and Harrison considered giving up football. But starting in 2004, he was a long-term fixture of the Pittsburgh defense that won Super Bowls XL and XLIII. Harrison had the most memorable play of the latter game, with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown just before the half serving as one of the top plays in NFL history. Harrison was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, he was a four-time All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowler.
Ward’s 14-year NFL career was spent carving out a role as one of the most physical players on the Steelers, even as a wide receiver. The Korean-born Ward won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh and was the MVP of Super Bowl XL after his game-sealing touchdown reception. His impact as a blocker was so well-known that the NFL changed its rules to prevent blindside blocks downfield, which has come to be known as the Hines Ward Rule. Ward was named to four Pro Bowls, was...
