L.C. Greenwood, one of the cornerstones of the legendary Steel Curtain defense, just saw his path to Canton get a little clearer.
Greenwood is one of five finalists up for three potential spots in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, alongside former Bengals quarterback and Steelers assistant coach Ken Anderson, 49ers running back Roger Craig, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. But now, with Belichick reportedly falling short of the 80% voting threshold needed for induction, Greenwood's odds just improved.
The Hall of Fame selection process for these particular candidates is unique. Each of the five finalists was nominated by one of three specialized committees - the seniors, contributors, and coaches committees.
From there, the full 50-member voting panel casts a simple yes-or-no vote on each candidate. The top vote-getter is automatically enshrined, and up to two more can join them if they receive at least 80% of the votes.
With Belichick now confirmed to have missed that mark, it means that only four candidates remain in the running for the three available spots. That’s a significant shift - and it puts Greenwood, long considered one of the Hall’s most glaring omissions, in a stronger position than he’s ever been.
Greenwood’s résumé speaks for itself. A 10th-round pick in 1969 out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he defied the odds and became a key figure on one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history.
By his third season, he’d earned a starting role at left defensive end, lining up alongside legends like Joe Greene and Dwight White. Together, they formed the heart of the Steel Curtain - the backbone of a Steelers dynasty that captured four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s.
Greenwood was named to six Pro Bowls and earned two All-Pro selections during his 13-year career. He was also selected to the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team and is enshrined in the Steelers Hall of Honor. Though sacks weren’t an official stat until 1983, Pro Football Reference credits Greenwood with 78 over his career - good for fourth all-time in franchise history.
And yet, despite all of that, this is the first time Greenwood has reached finalist status in 50 years of eligibility. That’s a staggering wait for a player whose impact on the game - and on one of the league’s most storied dynasties - is undeniable.
Greenwood passed away in 2013 at the age of 67 due to kidney failure, so if he’s finally inducted this year, it will be a posthumous honor. But it would still be a powerful recognition of a career that helped define a decade of dominance in Pittsburgh.
The official announcement of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will come during the NFL Honors ceremony on February 5, the week of Super Bowl LX. With Belichick out of the running, the door has opened just a bit wider for Greenwood - and for Steelers fans, that long-overdue moment might finally be within reach.