The Pro Football Hall of Fame trimmed a field of 42 nominees down to five for its contributor category ahead of the 2027 class.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that five contributor candidates remain in the running for its 2027 class. The group includes Patriots owner Robert Kraft, former Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams, late Bears owner Virginia McCaskey, longtime NFL player, scout and personnel executive John Wooten, and former Canton Bulldogs owner Ralph Hay.
Williams was the MVP of Super Bowl 22 and the first Black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl. His nomination here comes in the contributor category rather than as a player.
Members of the Hall's contributor subcommittee narrowed the list down from an original field of 42 nominees. That subcommittee will now select a single candidate to be considered when the Hall's full selection committee meets to determine the new class of enshrinees in early 2027.
The eventual contributor finalist will join a class that also includes one coach and 13 players, continuing the Hall's standard format for enshrinement rounds. No further timeline for narrowing the contributor field was given beyond the subcommittee's pending decision.