Chuck Burton/AP
Former Bears tight end Greg Olsen is among the first-time nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was released Wednesday. He’s joined by, among others, quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers and receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
Other ex-Bears who were among the 128 modern-era nominees include cornerback Charles Tillman, linebacker Lance Briggs, receivers Brandon Marshall and Thomas Jones, offensive linemen Olin Kruetz and Josh Sitton, defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff and running back Thomas Jones.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s screening committee will whittle the list down to 50 players by mid-October, then to 25.