Football
Former New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and OL Jahri Evans just took another step towards Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the selection committee announced Tuesday morning this year’s 15 finalists for the 2026 class.
This is Brees’ first year of eligibility and Evans’ fourth. He was also named a finalist for the Class of 2025 and a semifinalist in the Class of 2024.
Alongside Brees and Evans, the additional finalists include:
- Willie Anderson, Tackle — 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
- Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver — 2004-2020 Arizona Cardinals
- Frank Gore, Running Back — 2005-2014 San Francisco 49ers, 2015-17 Indianapolis Colts, 2018 Miami Dolphins, 2019 Buffalo Bills, 2020 New York Jets
- Torry Holt, Wide Receiver — 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
- Luke Kuechly, Linebacker — 2012-19 Carolina Panthers
- Eli Manning, Quarterback — 2004-2019 New York Giants
- Terrell Suggs, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End — 2003-2018 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
- Adam Vinatieri, Kicker — 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-2019 Indianapolis Colts
- Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver — 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts
- Kevin Williams, Defensive Tackle — 2003-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014 Seattle Seahawks, 2015 New Orleans Saints
- Jason Witten, Tight End — 2003-2017, 2019 Dallas Cowboys, 2020 Las Vegas Raiders
- Darren Woodson, Safety — 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys
- Marshal Yanda, Guard/Tackle — 2007-2019 Baltimore Ravens
The Selection Committee may elect up to five Modern-Era Players for the Class of 2026, and each must receive a minimum positive vote of 80% for election. While there is no set number for any class of Enshrinees, the Hall of Fame’s current selection process bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new members shall be selected.
The 15 finalists in the Modern-Era Players category were determined by the Hall’s independent selection committee from a list that originated with 128 nominees. It was then reduced to 52 nominees, then 26 Semifinalists, which has now been cut to 15 Finalists, who will now be considered for induction by the committee during their annual meeting prior to Super Bowl LX.
The Class of 2026 will be officially announced during the NFL Honors on Thursday, February 5th, 2026, at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
Read More Tina Howell