Pro Football HOF Announces 15 Finalists for 2026 Class

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 15 Modern-Era Player finalists for the Class of 2026 on Tuesday, highlighting a group led by four first-year eligible stars: quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, running back Frank Gore and tight end Jason Witten.

The finalists were selected from an initial pool of 128 nominees by a preliminary voting process. They include 10 returning candidates from last year's ballot, such as quarterback Eli Manning, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. The complete list comprises offensive tackle Willie Anderson, guard Jahri Evans, wide receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne, defensive tackle Kevin Williams, safety Darren Woodson and guard-tackle Marshall Yanda.

This marks the first time as finalists for Brees, Fitzgerald, Gore and Witten, all of whom retired after the 2020 season and became eligible this year. Brees, who spent 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints after five with the San Diego Chargers, ranks second in NFL history with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdown passes. He led the Saints to their only Super Bowl victory following the 2009 season, earning MVP honors in a...