CHARLOTTE — The two Panthers legends who reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists list last year made the cut to 26 semifinalists in this year's voting.
Linebacker Luke Kuechly and wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. remain among the 26 names announced Tuesday morning.
Kuechly is an automatic finalist after finishing in the final seven last year, along with Torry Holt, Willie Anderson, and Adam Vinatieri.
Smith was a finalist for the first time last year, getting to the final 15 after four years as a semifinalist.
Two other former Panthers — tight end Greg Olsen and cornerback Charles Tillman — were among the final 52 players on this year's ballot, but not among the semifinalists.
The list of 26 announced Tuesday included five players in their first year of eligibility, two players not in their first year of eligibility who have reached this stage for the first time, and 19 players who were Semifinalists for the Class of 2025.
The first-year eligibles include quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who have excellent cases this year since they're second all-time in categories including passing yards and receiving yards, respectively (trailing two guys named Tom Brady and Jerry Rice). The other three first-year eligibles are running back Frank Gore, quarterback Philip Rivers, and tight end Jason Witten.
Kuechly will automatically make the final 15, but he would have anyway, after a career in which he was the best linebacker in the game for the relatively short time he played.
In eight seasons, Kuechly was a seven-time All-Pro, a seven-time Pro Bowler, earned defensive rookie of the year honors, defensive player of the year, and went to one Super Bowl. He was named to the All-Decade team for the 2010s.
It's a nearly identical resume to Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis, who was enshrined in 2024 in his third year of eligibility. (Willis also played eight years, made the All-Decade team, and was a six-time All-Pro. He did not win a defensive player of the year.)
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 to years played 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). However you define elite, that's what Kuechly was during the time he played.
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 Holt, who is an automatic finalist, and Fitzgerald. 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).
The list of Semifinalists initially began as a group of 128 nominees announced in September. A screening committee that includes several enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame trimmed that number to 52 (50 plus ties) in October. The full selection committee cast the ballots to determine the semifinalists, and its next step will be another vote to cut the list to 15 finalists later this year.
The Panthers are represented in the Hall by defensive end Julius Peppers (Class of 2024), linebacker Sam Mills (2022), outside linebacker Kevin Greene (2016), and original general manager Bill Polian (2015).
Former Browns tackle and longtime coach/original Panthers team president Mike McCormack (1984), and former Steelers safety/community and player development staff Donnie Shell (2020) are also enshrined for their work with other teams, along with single-year Panthers Reggie White (2006) and Jared Allen (2025).
AUTOMATIC FINALISTS IN 2026 (4)
Luke Kuechly, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, and Adam Vinatieri.
REMAINING CLASS OF 2025 FINALISTS WHO ADVANCED (8)
Steve Smith Sr, Eli Manning, Fred Taylor, Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshal Yanda, Terrell Suggs, and Darren Woodson.
REMAINING SEMIFINALISTS (14)
Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Jason Witten, Philip Rivers, Lomas Brown, Kevin Williams, Hines Ward, Richmond Webb, Steve Wisniewski, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Robert Mathis, Vince Wilfork.
