Doug Williams advances in NFL Hall of Fame contributor voting

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is preparing to add a new member to its ranks in Canton, Ohio, next year.

Doug Williams, who led the Washington Commanders to a Super Bowl title in 1988, is now one of five finalists for the 2027 contributor class.

The Hall of Fame’s Contributor Subcommittee voted to narrow the list of 42 possible candidates down to five, according to a news release issued on Tuesday.

Williams played for Washington from 1986 to 1989. He took over as the starter early in the 1987 season after Jay Schroeder was injured.

That season, Williams guided the team, then known as the Redskins, to a victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.

He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after throwing for 340 yards and four touchdowns.

Williams became the first Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl.

He joins four other finalists in this round: Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots; John Wooten, an offensive lineman and scout; Virginia McCaskey, a former owner of the Chicago Bears; and Ralph Hay, an NFL co-founder.

Members of the Hall of Fame will meet later this month to select one candidate to send to the full Selection Committee.

The committee will then vote on the members of the 2027 class.

Kraft received the contributor nomination last year but did not make the hall.

Williams has worked as a coach at Navy and other colleges since retiring from the NFL. He is currently a senior advisor to Washington general manager Adam Peters in D.C. The Commanders organization has 32 members already enshrined in the Hall of Fame.