It's fun to look back at some of the great players who have suited up for the Minnesota Vikings. There are elite players at key positions who have suited up for the team over the years and have ended up in the team's Ring of Honor or even the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
One player who hasn't received as much attention as he should have in the past is former Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams. Minnesota's first-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft played in the league for 13 years before his retirement in 2016.
Williams spent 11 of his 13 seasons with the Vikings and signed a one-day deal to retire with the team. In that time, he was named to the Pro Bowl six times and All-Pro First Team five times. That led to him being enshrined in Minnesota's Ring of Honor in 2021.
Former Minnesota Vikings DT Kevin Williams named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
On Tuesday, NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" shared a post on X that revealed the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, and Williams is one of the 15 modern-era finalists who have been selected.
Your Class of 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists 👏 pic.twitter.com/nnUrk37wRj
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) December 30, 2025
Interestingly, Williams is the only defensive tackle to be a finalist this year. In fact, he is one of only four defenders to be a finalist. The others are linebacker Luke Kuechly, linebacker Terrell Suggs, and safety Darren Woodson.
Williams now has the opportunity to join other Vikings legends in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is his sixth year of eligibility for the honor and the farthest he has ever made it toward being enshrined in Canton's halls, and his first time being a finalist.
The official Vikings website posted about Williams being a finalist, providing compelling reasons why the big defensive lineman should be considered for the honor, and citing key statistics to support the argument.
"From 2003-13, Williams led all defensive tackles with 73 passes defensed and five interceptions, and he ranked No. 2 with 60 sacks behind Justin Smith's 67 in that time span."
Best of luck to Williams. Hopefully, he will get enough votes to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. If that doesn't happen, he will likely get another chance next year.