Former Steelers receiver Hines Ward is one step closer to football immortality as he was named a Modern-Era Semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Ward is one of 26 semifinalists for this year's class.

Ward, who is a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist for the 10th straight year (2017-26), played 14 seasons for the Steelers, after being selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft.

"Hines Ward is a Hall of Fame player because number one, he had a tremendous impact on the game," said Hall of Fame Coach Bill Cowher. "His numbers may not be what they are to other people because he played in an offense where he wasn't going to be asked to catch the ball. He was asked a lot to block. We had one of the best running games in my 15 years here, and Hines Ward was a

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