Virginia McCaskey is one step closer to having her name enshrined in football glory. 

The Bears’ matriarch was named one of 21 contributors to move forward in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s selection process for the 2026 class.  

The Hall’s Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee reduced the original list of 32 nominees to 21. An additional ballot will be cast later this month to bring down the list of candidates to nine Semifinalists. Those results will be announced in early November. Then the committee will meet virtually and decide on the Finalist for the Class of 2026. 

Nine individuals make up the committee. Eight of those members are part of the full Selection Committee, and one is a football historian who holds voting rights for this subcommittee.

[READ: Charles ‘Peanut’ Tillman among four Bears in Pro Football Hall voting]

McCaskey took over the ownership of the Bears from her father, George S. Halas, in 1983 until her death on Feb. 2. She was 102 years old. McCaskey was the longest-tenured owner at the time of her passing.

The Bears added a “VMH” patch to the players’ jerseys to pay tribute to their former owner. George McCaskey, Virginia’s son and current Bears owner, explained how the design was constructed.

“We thought it would be appropriate if her patch mirrored her dad’s from 1983,” George told the Bears’ official website. “So it’s the same size, the same color combination. The only thing that’s different, of course, is the initials. We thought that was the right thing to do.”

The rest of the 20 candidates to advance in the Contributor category include K.S. “Bud” Adams, Roone Arledge, Howard Cosell, John Facenda, Mike Giddings, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Don Klosterman, Eddie Kotal, Robert Kraft, John McVay, Clint Murchinson, Art Rooney Jr., Clark Shaughnessy, Seymour Siwoff, Amy Trask, Jack Vainisi, Lloyd Wells, John Wooten and Buddy Young.