2 Patriots Greats Among 25 Pro Football Hall Of Fame Semifinalists

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Patriots icons Rodney Harrison and Vince Wilfork are among the 25 Pro Football Hall of Fame Semifinalists for the Class of 2024, Hall of Fame officials announced Tuesday.

Harrison, 50, was a safety for the San Diego Chargers from 1994-2002 before heading to New England to play for the Patriots from 2003-2008. Wilfork, 42, was a defensive tackle for the Patriots from 2004-2014 before moving to the Houston Texans in 2015 and retiring following the 2016 season.

Both Harrison and Wilfork are third-time semifinalists; Harrison was previously named in 2021 and 2023, and Wilfork in 2022 and 2023.

The list of semifinalists, which was announced live today on NFL Network, was reduced from an initial group of 173 nominees announced in September. Others on the list of 25 include longtime New York Giants running back Tiki Barker—a first-time semifinalist—and former Patriots James Harrison and Fred Taylor.

In order to be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a nominated person must not have participated as an active player for five consecutive seasons, Hall of Fame officials said.

Before the Hall of Fame election, which will occur early next year, the 25 semifinalists will be reduced again to 15 before being padded with four nominees recommended by the Hall of Fame’s Coach/Contributor Committee, Buddy Parker, and its Seniors Committee, Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell.

The Class of 2024, which must include between four and nine new Hall of Fame members, will be selected in advance of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas and announced live on the "NFL Honors" telecast scheduled to air Feb. 8, officials said.