Adam Vinatieri, Rodney Harrison, Vince Wilfork, and Logan Mankins are among the eight former Patriots players who are one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The four are among the 52 modern-era players who have advanced to the next stage of the selection process for the Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which was announced Wednesday.

Those 52 former players are now through to the semifinal round of the selection process. The group will be whittled down to 25 over the next month, before 15 modern-era finalists are picked for the selection committee to vote on ahead of Super Bowl LX in February.

Vinatieri is already locked in as a finalist, after the legendary kicker reached the final seven in last year's voting process. It was a bit shocking that Vinatieri didn't take his place in Ca

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