3 former Cardinals again are Hall of Fame semifinalists

Edgerrin James, Alan Faneca and Simeon Rice again make the cut to the semifinals.

The NFL announced the 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2020 class. Three former Arizona Cardinals player are among the 25.

All three have been semifinalists before.

Offensive lineman Alan Faneca, running back Edgerrin James and defensive end Simeon Rice made the cut.

Faneca is a semifinalist for the fifth year in a row. He was one of the league’s best guards while with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets from 1998-2009. He played his final NFL season with the Cardinals in 2010.

James is a semifinalist for the sixth year in a row. He was one of the most productive running backs in both the running game and passing game for seven years with the Indianapolis Colts and then signed a five-year deal with the Cardinals. He played three years with the Cardinals, including in 2008 when they made it to the Super Bowl. He rushed for over 1,100 yards in 2006 and more than 1,200 yards in 2007. They are two of the top eight best rushing seasons in Cardinals history.

Rice began his career with the Cardinals. He is a semifinalist for the second time. He was the third overall pick in 1996 by Arizona and he played five seasons there. He had 51.5 sacks in five seasons, and finished with 122 sacks in his career. He played for the Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. His 51.5 sacks with the Cardinals are still the fourth-most in team history for a player.

Five of the 25 semifinalists will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

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