First-time candidates Antonio Gates and Julius Peppers joined nine returning finalists who advanced to the final stage of voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2024.

Gates and Peppers will be joined on the 15-player ballot by five-time finalist wide receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne.

Seven other players returned as finalists -- Patrick Willis, Andre Johnson, Dwight Freeney, Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Darren Woodson and Devin Hester.

Defensive backs Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison, running back Fred Taylor and offensive lineman Jahri Evans made it to this stage for the first time after previously being semifinalists.

The 15 finalists will be trimmed to 10 then to five during the selection meeting early next year. The final five candidates will need to receive 80% of the votes from the panel to get into the Hall.

Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is winding down his NFL career, telling the Detroit Free Press he plans to retire after the season.

Bridgewater has been a little-used backup to Jared Goff in his single season with the Lions, appearing in one game to kneel out a victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 5. But Bridgewater, 31, indicated he has no issues with his role.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has cleared concussion protocol and will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, the team announced on Friday night.

Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (foot/left hand) and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (thigh) are also questionable after missing the week of practice, while wide receiver Chris Olave is questionable after missing two practices with the flu.

"I have felt better, but I'm doing great, that's for sure," Carr said in a pool report distributed to the media by the team on Friday.

Carolina Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst does not believe the post-traumatic amnesia he was diagnosed with by an independent neurologist after suffering a concussion will be career-ending.

"I'm doing better each day," Hurst said. "It's not going to end my career, just being cautious as I come back. Should be another week or two."

Hurst suffered a concussion on Nov. 9 during a game against the Chicago Bears.

"I appreciate everyone reaching out & checking on me. I suffered a pretty nasty concussion against the Bears a few weeks ago & don't remember up to 4 hours after the game. Scary situation but the Panthers have been incredible walking me through this process," Hurst wrote on X.

Sweeping changes came to Carolina last week, and there will be more ahead, starting with the new head coach that Panthers owner David Tepper chooses.

The expectation across the NFL is that Tepper will look to hire an offensive-minded head coach, someone who can help quarterback Bryce Young fulfill the potential that Carolina saw when it made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

"He wants to go the offense route," said a league source familiar with the Panthers thinking.

Jim Harbaugh is dealing with controversy at the University of Michigan, but that hasn't kept NFL teams from showing interest in hiring him.

According to a report, Harbaugh is drawing interest from the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.

"(Panthers owner David) Tepper and Harbaugh had conversations last year," Dianna Russini said in her report.

"It obviously didn't pan out, but this was something that they discussed. ... That's a name I'm hearing again. The Chicago Bears are another organization ... (that has) had some conversations about that, depending on what decision they make with this coaching staff that is in place."