CHARLOTTE — A group of 13 Panthers legends were among the first list of 128 nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026.

In addition to linebacker Luke Kuechly (who will be an automatic finalist this year after finishing in the final seven last year) and wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. (who was a finalist last year), two former Panthers are eligible for the first time.

Tight end Greg Olsen and linebacker Thomas Davis are eligible for the first time this season.

The other former Panthers nominated include center Ryan Kalil, four members of the team's Hall of Honor (quarterback Jake Delhomme, left tackle Jordan Gross, tight end Wesley Walls, and wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad), along with kicker John Kasay, cornerback Charles Tillman, receiver/running back/returner Eric Metcalf, and linebacker Lee Woodall.

In the next step in the selection process, a screening committee will reduce the list to 50 (plus ties, if any, for the 50th spot). The results of that reduction will be announced in mid-October. The full 50-person Hall of Fame selection committee will then reduce the list to 25 semifinalists later this fall. Another vote will create the list of 15 modern-era player finalists who will be discussed at the annual selection meeting ahead of Super Bowl LX. The Class of 2026 can consist of three, four, or five modern-era players under the Hall of Fame's bylaws.

Last year, only three modern players were inducted into the Hall (Jared Allen, Eric Allen, and Antonio Gates), leaving Kuechly just off the cut in his first year of eligibility.

He will automatically advance to the final 15 this year, though that should be obvious anyway.

He has a nearly identical resume to Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis, who was enshrined in 2024 in his third year of eligibility. Both played eight seasons, shortened by injury. Both were named to the All-Decade team, went to seven Pro Bowls, earned defensive rookie of the year honors, and went to one Super Bowl. The only differences were that Kuechly was named All-Pro seven times to Willis' six, and Kuechly was named defensive player of the year in 2013.

Kuechly was also recognized as one of the best in the game, practically his entire career. By making an All-Pro team in seven of his eight seasons (87.5 percent, and the only year he didn't, he was defensive rookie of the year), he has the third-highest percentage of All-Pros in NFL history, trailing just Barry Sanders (10-of-10, 100.0 percent) and Jim Brown (8-of-9, 88.9). The guys he's immediately ahead of on that list are Reggie White (13-of-15, 86.7) and Anthony Munoz (11-of-13, 84.6).

So even if he wasn't an automatic finalist, he should be automatic.

Smith made the final 15 last year and would need to go through the voting process again, though his numbers suggest that seems likely.

There is a logjam of receivers in the discussion, including former Rams star Torry Holt, who is an automatic finalist alongside Kuechly. Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald is a nominee for the first time, and since he's second on the all-time receiving lists behind only Jerry Rice, his chances seem good. Reggie Wayne was also a finalist with Holt and Smith last year, and none made it to Canton. Holt and Wayne have been finalists for six years each.

Smith is eighth in league history in receiving yards and 12th in receptions. Wayne is 10th in both categories. Holt is 17th in yards and 26th in receptions in a shorter career.

Unlike those two, Smith didn't have the benefit of all-star casts of Hall of Fame quarterbacks. He was also the focus of every opposing defensive coordinator, and did it all for teams that generally preferred to run. The year he won the triple crown, leading the league in catches, yards, and touchdowns (2005), the Panthers ran more often (487 attempts) than they threw (449 passes).

Olsen came along at the beginning of a wave of pass-catching tight ends and is seventh all-time in receptions and receiving yards at his position. Three of the six guys ahead of him on the yardage list are already in the Hall (Tony Gonzalez, Gates, Shannon Sharpe), and the other three are coming soon (Witten, Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski).

Olsen's also the first tight end in league history to post three straight 1,000-yard seasons.

Davis was a three-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro in 2015, and an NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year recipient. He's also the first player to come back from three straight ACL tears, and he played in a Super Bowl with a broken arm.

Kalil was a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, and it's likely that the only thing that kept him from making All-Decade teams was the fact that his career straddled the 2000s and the 2010s (playing his best football from 2007-15).

Among the full list, 13 first-year eligibles (whose careers ended after the 2020 season) made this year's initial nominee list, including Olsen and Davis.

Three quarterbacks (Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Alex Smith) made that list, along with Fitzgerald; tight end Jason Witten; running backs Frank Gore and LeSean McCoy; offensive linemen David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey; and defensive linemen Geno Atkins and Jurrell Casey.

AUTOMATIC FINALISTS IN 2026

Luke Kuechly, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, and Adam Vinatieri.

REMAINING CLASS OF 2025 FINALISTS

Steve Smith Sr, Eli Manning, Fred Taylor, Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshal Yanda, Terrell Suggs, and Darren Woodson.

FULL LIST OF MODERN-ERA NOMINEES FOR CLASS OF 2026

QUARTERBACKS (10): Drew Brees, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, Philip Rivers, Alex Smith.

RUNNING BACKS (21): Shaun Alexander, Mike Alstott (FB), Tiki Barber, Larry Centers (FB), Jamaal Charles, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Arian Foster, Eddie George, Frank Gore, Priest Holmes, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), Lorenzo Neal (FB), Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters.

WIDE RECEIVERS (18): Anquan Boldin, Donald Driver, Larry Fitzgerald, Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, Brandon Lloyd, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, Roddy White.

TIGHT ENDS (6): Vernon Davis, Zach Miller, Greg Olsen, Wesley Walls, Delanie Walker, Jason Witten.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (22): Willie Anderson (T), Matt Birk (C), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Ryan Clady (T), David DeCastro (G), Jahri Evans (G), Jordan Gross (T), Ryan Kalil (C), Olin Kreutz (C), Nick Mangold (C), Logan Mankins (G), Tom Nalen (C), Maurkice Pouncey (C), Jeff Saturday (C), Josh Sitton (G), Joe Staley (T), Brian Waters (G), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), Marshal Yanda (G).

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (13): John Abraham (DE also LB), Geno Atkins (DT), Jurrell Casey (DT), Elvis Dumervil (DE), La'Roi Glover (DT/NT), Robert Mathis (DE), Haloti Ngata (DT), Jay Ratliff (DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Justin Smith (DE), Ted Washington (NT/DT), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT).

LINEBACKERS (14): NaVorro Bowman, Lance Briggs, Tedy Bruschi, Thomas Davis, James Farrior, London Fletcher, James Harrison, A.J. Hawk, Luke Kuechly, Clay Matthews III, Dat Nguyen, Takeo Spikes, Terrell Suggs, Lee Woodall.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (15): Eric Berry (S), Kam Chancellor (S), Nick Collins (S), DeAngelo Hall (DB), Rodney Harrison (S), James Hasty (CB), Carnell Lake (DB), Allen Rossum (DB), Asante Samuel (CB), Patrick Surtain (CB), Earl Thomas (S), Charles Tillman (CB), Troy Vincent (CB), Adrian Wilson (S), Darren Woodson (S).

PUNTERS/KICKERS (7): David Akers (K), Gary Anderson (K), Jason Hanson (K), John Kasay (K), Sean Landeta (P), Shane Lechler (P), Adam Vinatieri (K).

SPECIAL TEAMS (2): Josh Cribbs (KR/PR also WR), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB).