Pro Football Hall of Fame 2019: Date, Start Time, TV Info and More

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019 will be announced on Saturday night, as the list of 15 finalists will be cut down to five inductees. The announcement will be made during the 2019 NFL Honors award show, which airs on CBS at 9 p.m. ET.

Veteran NFL writers serve as the Hall of Fame voters who will decide which players will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio in 2019. Finalists must receive 80 percent of the vote to be inducted, and they are eligible for a 20-year period.

If a person is not inducted during those 20 years, they become a senior finalist and will be considered a final time.

Below are the 15 modern-era finalists for this year in alphabetical order, as well as this year's senior finalists and contributor finalist:

2019 Hall of Fame Finalists

Steve Atwater, S

Champ Bailey, CB

Tony Boselli, T

Isaac Bruce, WR

Alan Faneca, G

Tony Gonzalez, TE

Steve Hutchinson, G

Edgerrin James, RB

Ty Law, CB

John Lynch, S

Kevin Mawae, C

Ed Reed, S

Richard Seymour, DE

Don Coryell, coach

Tom Flores, coach

Pat Bowlen*, coach

Gil Brandt*, general manager

Johnny Robinson^, S

*indicates senior finalist

^indicates contributor finalist

Bailey, Gonzalez, Reed and Seymour are all first-time finalists, and it's quite possible that several of those players will be voted into the Hall of Fame in their first attempt.

Of those four players, Gonzalez and Reed are the most likely to be heading to the Hall of Fame this year.

Gonzalez is a 14-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro tight end who played 17 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. He had 1,325 career receptions for 15,127 yards and 111 touchdowns, serving as a consistent presence for nearly two decades.

Reed played the first 11 seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, before briefly playing for the Houston Texans and New York Jets in 2013, his final year. The safety was a nine-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro selection who finished his career with 643 tackles and 64 interceptions.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Reed was the 2004 AP Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl XLVII victory.

Bailey also has a strong resume and could be selected in his first year as a finalist. The cornerback played 15 seasons for the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins, earning 12 Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections while finishing his career with 52 interceptions.

Seymour may have to wait past 2019 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but the former New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders defensive lineman has a strong case. He made seven Pro Bowls, earned three All-Pro selections and won three Super Bowl championships with New England.

Among returning finalists, Bruce and James likely have the best chances to be voted into the Hall of Fame this year.

Bruce played 16 seasons, including 14 with the Los Angeles Rams, finishing his career with 15,208 receiving yards and 91 receiving touchdowns. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and helped the Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV.

James rushed for 12,246 yards and 80 touchdowns over 11 seasons—seven with the Indianapolis Colts, three with the Arizona Cardinals and one with the Seattle Seahawks. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, one-time All-Pro selection and the 1999 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame class will be inducted in Canton on Saturday, Aug. 3.