Jason Witten enters semifinalist round for Football Hall of Fame

One of Elizabethton’s hometown heroes is one of 25 semifinalist for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is Jason Witten’s first year of eligibility, and the Elizabethton native and former Tennessee Volunteer is a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame’s next class. Witten leads the Cowboys franchise in receptions, receiving yards, games played and is tied for the most Pro Bowl appearances with 11. Witten has a career 1,228 receptions and 74 touchdowns with career yards total of 13,046. The 25 semifinalists will be reduced to 15 finalists. The finalist pool is whittled down from 15 to 10, then seven, at which point the selection committee votes for five of the seven. New members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame are elected shortly before the Super Bowl.