Why Colts WR Reggie Wayne will continue to wait to make Hall of Fame

Colts legends Reggie Wayne and Frank Gore are among 11 players on this year’s ballot as finalists for the modern Pro Football Hall of Fame, but they won’t be wearing gold jackets during induction ceremonies this summer. Judging by the looks of potential first-time voting members next year, it’s likely these two will be out of the Hall for a while longer.

Longtime Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri — arguably the best kicker in NFL history — is one of five members of the class of 2026 who were voted on Thursday night during an NFL Honors ceremony. Other modern players in the class include Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. Vinatieri and Kuechly were voted in in their second year of eligibility, and Brees and Fitzgerald joined the esteemed list of first-ballot Hall of Famers.

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Gore joins Brees, Fitzgerald and longtime Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility. Wayne, on the other hand, tied with star wide receiver Torrey Holt this year as the most finalists not elected to the Hall of Fame (seven times). Wayne has been a finalist every year of his seven years of eligibility.

But he’s still struggling to break the threshold — especially with the House’s new, more exclusive voting process. Under the new Pro Football Hall of Fame voting rules, the 25 (and tied) semifinalists are whittled down to 15 finalists each year, and then through subsequent rounds of voting, the group is whittled down to 10, then seven. The 50 voters of the Hall of Fame have five picks among the seven modern players. The top three players with the most votes will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. If they receive 80% of the votes, up to two more players can be added to the Hall of Fame.

Longtime Colts beat writer Mike Chappell, the Indianapolis-area representative on the Hall voting committee, lifted the lid on the voting process Thursday night. He said Wynn did not make the first cut from 15 to 10, meaning that, in the best-case scenario, he would still be the seventh-highest vote-getter next year, with Vinatieri, Brees, Fitzgerald and Kuechly all left off the list.

Chappell said Gore whittled the list down to 10, but he was not among the seven “ultimate” finalists who made it to the hall’s deciding vote. Bengals tackle Willie Anderson, Ravens edge rusher Terrell Suggs and Ravens offensive lineman Yanda Marshal, the three top seven players not selected in this year’s class, will automatically advance to become finalists in the 2027 class.

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Chappelle said the initial field of finalists was whittled down from 15 to 10, including the seven mentioned above as well as Gore, Witten and Cowboys safety Darren Woodson.