Finalists For 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Announced
Time has a funny way of moving faster in the NFL than anywhere else. It feels like just yesterday we were watching Drew Brees lift a city on his shoulders in New Orleans or seeing Eli Manning pull off the impossible against the undefeated Patriots. Now, they are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On Tuesday, the league announced the 15 modern-era finalists for the Class of 2026, and looking at this list, one thing is abundantly clear: the tailor in Canton better get those gold jackets ready.
The headliners are exactly who you’d expect. In their first year of eligibility, Brees and Manning have made the cut to the final 15. For Brees, this feels like a formality. We’re talking about a guy who retired as the league’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns (until Tom Brady nudged past him). His impact on the game and the city of New Orleans transcends the box score.
Then there’s Manning. The voters will have a field day with his .500 regular-season record, but you can’t tell the story of the NFL without the younger Manning. He has two rings, two Super Bowl MVPs, and the distinction of being the kryptonite to the greatest dynasty in sports history. If that’s not a Hall of Fame resume, I don’t know what is.
The Veterans Waiting For the Knock
While the quarterbacks grab the headlines, the rest of the list is a reminder of just how brutal this selection process can be. You have legendary wide receivers like Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne, and Larry Fitzgerald all vying for spots. It’s becoming a bit of a traffic jam at the position. Fitzgerald, in his first year of eligibility, brings a resume that rivals anyone’s, but Holt and Wayne have been waiting patiently in the wings.
The defensive side of the ball is equally scary. You’ve got Luke Kuechly, perhaps the smartest linebacker of his generation, and Terrell Suggs, a sack artist who terrorized backfields for nearly two decades. Throw in the heavy hitters in the trenches like Jahri Evans, Willie Anderson, and Marshall Yanda, and you realize that leaving anyone off this list is going to feel like a crime.
The Philip Rivers Twist
Here is the funniest, and perhaps most tragic, sidebar to this year’s announcement. Philip Rivers was initially on the path to be in this class. However, because the 44-year-old decided to unretire and sign with the Colts in December for a playoff push, he reset his eligibility clock.
Rivers was removed from the semifinalist list the moment he joined an active roster. Now, he has to wait another five years before his Hall of Fame candidacy can even be considered again. It’s a harsh reminder that the Hall of Fame rules are written in stone, even if your comeback only lasts a few weeks.
The Final 15 Candidates
The voters will meet before the Super Bowl to whittle this list down from 15 to a maximum of five modern-era inductees. To get in, a finalist needs 80% of the vote. Here is the full list of finalists hoping for that life-changing knock on the door:
- Willie Anderson, OT
- Drew Brees, QB
- Jahri Evans, G
- Larry Fitzgerald, WR
- Frank Gore, RB
- Torry Holt, WR
- Luke Kuechly, LB
- Eli Manning, QB
- Terrell Suggs, OLB
- Adam Vinatieri, K
- Reggie Wayne, WR
- Kevin Williams, DT
- Jason Witten, TE
- Darren Woodson, S
- Marshall Yanda, G
The Class of 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most star-studded Hall of Fame groups we’ve seen in years. Whether it’s the passing records, the Super Bowl miracles, or the sheer longevity represented by guys like Frank Gore and Adam Vinatieri, this group defined an era of football. Now, we wait to see who gets immortalized in bronze.
