Two former Browns players are in the running to be considered for one of the three Finalists spots for the Seniors category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026.
LB Carl Banks and LB Clay Matthews Jr. are among the six linebackers in contention for the Class of 2026.
Banks spent two seasons with the Browns from 1994-95. He started 31 of 32 games that he played in Cleveland, and recorded 2.5 sacks, 131 tackles and one forced fumble.
Matthews began his NFL career with the Browns in 1978 after the Browns drafted him 12th overall, where he played 16 seasons through 1993. He was a part of the 1985 that reached the playoffs and featured a trip to the AFC championship. He was also a part of the same stretch where the Browns reached the players for five consecutive seasons, including three AFC championship games.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that following a second reduction vote of candidates in the Seniors category, 34 former players remain under consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. To be considered, each person in the Seniors category could have appeared in a professional football game no more recently than the 2000 season.
Members of the Hall of Fame's Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee produced the list from the 52 names they had received after a screening committee cast the initial ballots in the highly competitive selection process. Each of the 162 former players nominated for election and screened in the opening round of voting last could have appeared in a professional football game in the 2000 season.
