Bears owner Virginia McCaskey has moved one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
McCaskey, 101, is one of 25 candidates in the contributor category after the initial list was cut down from 47, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. The list will be trimmed to nine candidates in two weeks.
Among the other 25 candidates to make the cut were Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Titans founder and owner Bud Adams, Canton Bulldogs owner and NFL founder Ralph Hay, former Browns owner Art Modell and former Green Bay Press-Gazette sportswriter Lee Remmel.
The Bears have 32 Hall of Famers after the induction of defensive tackle Steve McMichael and kick returner Devin Hester in August — the most of any NFL franchise.