Chicago Bears’ Virginia McCaskey, Steve McMichael among semifinalists for Hall of Fame

Bears team owner Virginia Halas McCaskey and longtime defensive tackle Steve McMichael are among 60 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

McCaskey is one of 29 “coach/contributor” nominees, while McMichael is among 31 “senior” nominees. The coach/contributor nominees and the senior nominees are selected in a separate voting process than the “modern-era” players, who become eligible five years after their NFL careers conclude. Senior nominees consists of players who played their final NFL game no later than 1998.

In addition to McCaskey and McMichael, former Bears assistant coach Clark Shaughnessy, who coached the team in the 1950s, also is a semifinalist.

By Aug. 15, the Hall of Fame’s coach/contributor committee will narrow the list down to one nominee to be considered for the Class of 2024. By Aug. 22, the seniors committee will narrow its list down to as many as three senior player nominees. The coach/contributor nominees and the senior nominees will go through a round of cuts down to 12 semifinalists to be announced July 27.

McCaskey celebrated her 100th birthday Jan. 5. She is the daughter of Bears founder, longtime coach and owner George Halas. She became the team’s principal owner after her father’s death in 1983. She still attends games, although she has turned over the team’s day-to-day responsibilities to her children.

“[She’s] very impactful,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said on her 100th birthday in January. “Her first conversation that we had together was over the phone, and her last comment was, she goes, ‘Matt, you know I’ll be your biggest fan.’ ”

McMichael, 65, was an All-Pro defensive lineman for the Super Bowl XX champion Bears during the 1985 season. He played for the Bears from 1981-93 and went to two Pro Bowls. McMichael totaled 95 sacks over a 15-year career, including 92.5 as a member of the Bears. McMichael, nicknamed Mongo, also became a pro wrestler after his NFL career and was a frequent presence on Chicago sports talk radio for many years.

McMichael announced in April 2021 that he was battling ALS.

The Hall of Fame’s modern-era nominees are typically announced in November. Bears return specialist Devin Hester could likely be nominated again after his first two nominations fell short.