Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald
lead the pack for 2026 Hall of Fame
[October 23, 2025]
By JOSH DUBOW
Quarterback Drew Brees and receiver Larry Fitzgerald advanced to the
next stage of consideration for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame
class in their first year of eligibility.
Six other players in their first year of eligibility advanced from
the original list of 128 modern-era nominees for this year’s class
to the 52 that will be considered by the full selection committee.
The other players in their first year of eligibility who advanced in
voting by a screening committee are quarterback Philip Rivers; tight
ends Greg Olsen and Jason Witten; running backs Frank Gore and
LeSean McCoy; and offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey.
The full 50-member selection committee will reduce the list to 25
and then 15 finalists, who will be voted on before the Super Bowl in
February.
Four players have already guaranteed themselves spots in the final
15 after making it down to the final seven players in the 2025
class, with Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam
Vinatieri taking those spots.
The other returning finalists are Eli Manning, Fred Taylor, Steve
Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshall Yanda, Terrell Suggs
and Darren Woodson.
In addition to the 15 modern-era finalists, the selection committee
will consider three seniors, one coach and one contributor for the
class of 2026. Between four and eight new members will be elected in
the second year of this current format.
Only four people got in last year for the smallest class in 20
years.
Brees and Fitzgerald are the top new candidates this year.
Brees is second all time to Tom Brady with 80,358 yards passing and
571 touchdown passes. He spent the first five seasons of his career
with the San Diego Chargers before signing as a free agent with the
Saints in 2006, where his career took off as he helped lift a city
still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
Brees delivered to New Orleans its first Super Bowl title following
the 2009 season, when he won MVP of the game after beating Peyton
Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Brees made the Pro Bowl 13 times
in his career, won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011,
was an All-Pro in 2006 and was a second-team All-Pro four times.
Fitzgerald spent his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals after
being drafted third overall in 2004. His 1,432 catches and 17.492
yards receiving in 17 seasons rank second all time to Jerry Rice.
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Fitzgerald topped 1,000 yards receiving nine times
— tied for the fourth most ever — and helped the Cardinals reach
their only Super Bowl following the 2008 season. Fitzgerald set
single-season records that postseason with 546 yards receiving and
seven TD catches, including a go-ahead 64-yard score with 2:37 to
play in the Super Bowl before Pittsburgh rallied for a 27-23 win
over Arizona.
Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by
Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times, with seven Pro Bowl nods
and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL
in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes
defensed (66).
Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making
the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl victories
during New England’s dynasty.
He helped launch the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks — a
45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game
against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the
game-winning kick in OT to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on
the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.
Vinatieri is the NFL’s career leader in points (2,673) and made
field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and
Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238
points in the postseason.
Holt was a key part of the Rams' “Greatest Show on Turf,” helping
the team win the Super Bowl in his rookie season in 1999 and getting
back there two years later. Holt led the NFL in yards receiving in
2000 and in catches and yards in 2003 when he made his only All-Pro
team.
Holt finished his career with 920 catches for 13,382 yards and 74
TDs.
Anderson was considered one of the top right tackles in his era
after being a first-round pick by Cincinnati in 1996. He spent
nearly his entire career with the Bengals and made three straight
All-Pro teams from 2004-06.
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