diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/BeanDescription.java b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/BeanDescription.java
index 84802965e9..b48e8a127e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/BeanDescription.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/BeanDescription.java
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public boolean isNonStaticInnerClass() {
 
     /*
     /**********************************************************
-    /* Basic API for finding creator members
+    /* Basic API for finding Creators, related information
     /**********************************************************
      */
 
@@ -166,6 +166,15 @@ public boolean isNonStaticInnerClass() {
      */
     public abstract AnnotatedConstructor findDefaultConstructor();
 
+    /**
+     * Method that is replacing earlier Creator introspection access methods.
+     *
+     * @since 2.18
+     *
+     * @return Container for introspected Creator candidates, if any
+     */
+    public abstract PotentialCreators getPotentialCreators();
+
     /*
     /**********************************************************
     /* Basic API for finding property accessors
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/BasicBeanDescription.java b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/BasicBeanDescription.java
index 63f54879b2..b1021be1e5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/BasicBeanDescription.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/BasicBeanDescription.java
@@ -340,6 +340,11 @@ public List<AnnotatedAndMetadata<AnnotatedConstructor, JsonCreator.Mode>> getCon
         return result;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public PotentialCreators getPotentialCreators() {
+        return _propCollector.getPotentialCreators();
+    }
+    
     @Override
     public Object instantiateBean(boolean fixAccess) {
         AnnotatedConstructor ac = _classInfo.getDefaultConstructor();
@@ -363,7 +368,7 @@ public Object instantiateBean(boolean fixAccess) {
                     +ClassUtil.exceptionMessage(t), t);
         }
     }
-
+    
     /*
     /**********************************************************
     /* Simple accessors, extended
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/POJOPropertiesCollector.java b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/POJOPropertiesCollector.java
index c11e360a33..019cddafb6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/POJOPropertiesCollector.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/POJOPropertiesCollector.java
@@ -91,6 +91,11 @@ public class POJOPropertiesCollector
 
     protected List<POJOPropertyBuilder> _creatorProperties;
 
+    /**
+     * @since 2.18
+     */
+    protected PotentialCreators _potentialCreators;
+
     /**
      * A set of "field renamings" that have been discovered, indicating
      * intended renaming of other accessors: key is the implicit original
@@ -218,6 +223,14 @@ public List<BeanPropertyDefinition> getProperties() {
         return new ArrayList<>(props.values());
     }
 
+    // @since 2.18
+    public PotentialCreators getPotentialCreators() {
+        if (!_collected) {
+            collectAll();
+        }
+        return _potentialCreators;
+    }
+
     public Map<Object, AnnotatedMember> getInjectables() {
         if (!_collected) {
             collectAll();
@@ -626,6 +639,8 @@ protected void _addFields(Map<String, POJOPropertyBuilder> props)
     // Completely rewritten in 2.18
     protected void _addCreators(Map<String, POJOPropertyBuilder> props)
     {
+        final PotentialCreators creators = new PotentialCreators();
+        _potentialCreators = creators;
         _creatorProperties = new ArrayList<>();
 
         // First, resolve explicit annotations for all potential Creators
@@ -648,35 +663,35 @@ protected void _addCreators(Map<String, POJOPropertyBuilder> props)
         _removeDisabledCreators(constructors);
         _removeDisabledCreators(factories);
 
-        final PotentialCreators collector = new PotentialCreators();
         // and use annotations to find explicitly chosen Creators
         if (_useAnnotations) { // can't have explicit ones without Annotation introspection
             // Start with Constructors as they have higher precedence:
-            _addExplicitlyAnnotatedCreators(collector, constructors, props, false);
+            _addExplicitlyAnnotatedCreators(creators, constructors, props, false);
             // followed by Factory methods (lower precedence)
-            _addExplicitlyAnnotatedCreators(collector, factories, props,
-                    collector.hasPropertiesBased());
+            _addExplicitlyAnnotatedCreators(creators, factories, props,
+                    creators.hasPropertiesBased());
         }
 
         // If no Explicitly annotated creators found, look
         // for ones with explicitly-named ({@code @JsonProperty}) parameters
-        if (!collector.hasPropertiesBased()) {
+        if (!creators.hasPropertiesBased()) {
             // only discover constructor Creators?
-            _addCreatorsWithAnnotatedNames(collector, constructors);
+            _addCreatorsWithAnnotatedNames(creators, constructors);
         }
 
         // But if no annotation-based Creators found, find/use canonical Creator
         // (JDK 17 Record/Scala/Kotlin)
-        if (!collector.hasPropertiesBased()) {
+        if (!creators.hasPropertiesBased()) {
             // for Records:
             if ((canonical != null) && constructors.contains(canonical)) {
                 constructors.remove(canonical);
-                collector.addPropertiesBased(_config, canonical, "canonical");
+                creators.addPropertiesBased(_config, canonical, "canonical");
             }
         }
 
-        // And finally add logical properties:
-        PotentialCreator primary = collector.propertiesBased;
+        // And finally add logical properties for the One Properties-based
+        // creator selected (if any):
+        PotentialCreator primary = creators.propertiesBased;
         if (primary != null) {
             _addCreatorParams(props, primary);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/PotentialCreators.java b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/PotentialCreators.java
index 5a3ad070a4..ab4e1c4623 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/PotentialCreators.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/introspect/PotentialCreators.java
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ public class PotentialCreators
      */
     public PotentialCreator propertiesBased;
 
-    public final List<PotentialCreator> delegating = new ArrayList<>();
+    private List<PotentialCreator> delegating;
 
     public PotentialCreators()
     {
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ public void addPropertiesBased(MapperConfig<?> config, PotentialCreator ctor, St
 
     public void addDelegating(PotentialCreator ctor)
     {
+        if (delegating == null) {
+            delegating = new ArrayList<>();
+        }
         delegating.add(ctor);
     }
 
@@ -50,6 +53,10 @@ public boolean hasPropertiesBased() {
     }
 
     public boolean hasPropertiesBasedOrDelegating() {
-        return (propertiesBased != null) || !delegating.isEmpty();
+        return (propertiesBased != null) || (delegating != null && !delegating.isEmpty());
+    }
+
+    public List<PotentialCreator> getDelegating() {
+        return (delegating == null) ? Collections.emptyList() : delegating;
     }
 }