Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Sterling Sharpe were elected as Hall of Famers in 2025 as a part of the smallest Hall of Fame class in 20 years. So few inductions will open up the door for a bigger 2026 Hall of Fame class. On Wednesday, 128 modern era players were nominated to be immortalized in football history as a part of the 2026 class.
The screening committee will reduce the list of former superstars from 128 to 50 players in October. The list will then be cut down to 25 semifinalists, then 15 finalists, and finally, three to five players will be chosen to officially don the gold jacket. There are 13 players in their first year of eligibility. Overall, 77 offensive players, 42 defensive players, and nine special teamers can be voted in. So, among these modern era players, who deserves to be enshrined in the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame? Check out the gallery to find out.
Drew Brees is a Hall of Fame lock
Drew Brees is one of 13 players in their first year of Hall of Fame eligibility. Unlike fellow first-time signal callers, Alex Smith and Philip Rivers, Brees will almost certainly get in on his first try. Brees was somewhat of the modern-day Dan Marino. They both put up massive numbers and always ran high-octane offenses. The difference was that Brees won a Super Bowl, which is a near necessity for quarterbacks when it comes to getting into the Hall of Fame.
Brees was so dominant from a statistical perspective that he ranks second in all-time passing yards with 80,358. The only other player to surpass the 80,000 mark is Tom Brady, the greatest NFL player of all time. Brees is also second all-time in passing touchdowns (571) and completions (7,142).
The fact that Brees found success under center for so long is a testament to his hard work and talent. After all, it looked like his career would be coming to a close right after it got going, as he suffered a nasty labrum injury early on in his career while with the San Diego Chargers. Brees would go on to revolutionize how offenses run and really help popularize the passing game during his time with the New Orleans Saints.
Brees won an MVP and two Offensive Player of the Year awards during his career. The 13-time Pro Bowler was not only just the second 5,000-yard passer ever, but he holds the record for most seasons surpassing that mark with five. He led the league in passing yards seven times, in passer rating twice, in completion percentage six times, and in passing touchdowns four times.
Few, if any, have combined offensive aggression with ball security quite like Brees. His numbers alone will get him in the Hall of Fame, but his impact on how the sport is played is what will really last the test of time.
Larry Fitzgerald is a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Another NFL legend in his first year of eligibility who deserves to be enshrined right away is Larry Fitzgerald. Like Brees, Fitzgerald ranks second at his position in a number of categories, oftentimes trailing only Jerry Rice in receiving production. Fitzgerald spent his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals, and he had an unusually long career for a pass catcher.
The Pitt product ranks second in history in receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492). Fitzgerald's receptions total is actually the most for a player on one single team, as Rice played for a few different programs. He punched the ball into the end zone 121 times on these catches as well. Fitzgerald was uber reliable. He was a steady route runner who was always healthy, and he never dropped passes. In fact, Fitzgerald ended his career with more tackles as an offensive player (41) than he had dropped passes (29).
The 11-time Pro Bowler was the embodiment of consistency. He remained humble and joyful throughout his entire career, too. Although he wasn't the fastest or most physically imposing receiver, he was a dream pass catcher for fans and offensive coordinators alike because he just never messed up.
Adam Vinateiri should have made it last year
Adam Vinateiri, Torry Holt, Willie Anderson, and Luke Kuechly all finished in the top seven in Hall of Fame voting last year. Therefore, they will automatically advance to the top 15 this year. However, with two clear-cut first-ballot Hall of Famers in the 2026 class, Holt, Anderson, and Kuechly may have to wait a little bit longer.
Vinateiri should be a part of the 2026 class, though. After all, the kicker is the all-time NFL scoring leader. Vinateiri's 2,623 total points are over 100 more than second place. Not only did he make kicks with frequency, but he did so with accuracy, too. Vinateiri made 83.8% of his field goals over his record 397 total games played.
Vinateiri found this special teams success while being a part of teams with some of the best offenses ever. He started his career with the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots and finished with the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts. Obviously, this helped Vinateiri rack up extra points, but he still had to hit field goals with precision over a long period of time to score as much as he did.
While playing for these powerhouses, Vinateiri won four Super Bowls. He is perhaps most known for the game-winning kicks during the 2001-02 playoffs. Vinateiri knocked in a game-winner during blizzard conditions in the Divisional Round, as well as the Super Bowl XXXVI game winner, the latter of which went down as one of the greatest Super Bowl moments ever.
Reggie Wayne sneaks into the Hall of Fame
There are numerous receivers worthy of a Hall of Fame spot. In addition to the expected enshrinement of Fitzgerald and the aforementioned Holt, Reggie Wayne deserves a spot in Canton, Ohio. Wayne's inclusion here makes for two new Hall of Famers who spent most of their time in Indianapolis.
Wayne was Manning's top target for much of his career, although he shared that title with Marvin Harrison early on in his career as a part of arguably the best receiving duo in NFL history. All in all, Wayne ranks 10th all-time in receptions (1,070), 10th in receiving yards (14,345), and 31st in receiving touchdowns (81).
Wayne ended up outlasting both Harrison and Manning as a Colt, as his 211 games played for the team are the most in franchise history. To further establish his legacy, Wayne proved that he wasn't just the product of a great quarterback, as he thrived with Andrew Luck during his rookie year under center, too. Wayne helped the Colts win Super Bowl XLI, and he made six Pro Bowls along the way. Holt deserves to get into the Hall of Fame, but Wayne may just edge him out in voting this year.
Eli Manning has one of the most unique Hall of Fame cases ever
Eli Manning is not a typical Hall of Famer. It is often seen as a requirement that to make the Hall of Fame, the player must have been a top two or three player at their position for close to a decade, if not more. That wasn't the case with Manning. His brother Peyton, Tom Brady, and a fellow Hall of Fame candidate here, Drew Brees, were all better during the same era.
Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger were arguably all more talented quarterbacks, too. Manning detractors will also point out that he wasn't super accurate (60.3%), he struggled with interceptions (244), and his regular season record was uninspiring (117-117).
There are more reasons to elect Manning into the Hall of Fame than to keep him out, though. He was the ultimate winner. Winning is the end goal in football, and Manning did it at the biggest stages when it mattered the most. Manning won both Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI over the New England Patriots, who were in the midst of the greatest dynasty in league history at the time, and he also took home MVP honors in both of those games because he created iconic moments. His pass to Mario Manningham, as well as his throw in which David Tyree caught with his helmet, led to some of the best Super Bowl victories ever.
While the championships are the starting point in Manning's Hall of Fame case, it is important to note that he did put up big passing numbers as well. With the 11th most career passing yards (57,023), Manning was dominant over a long period of time. The story of the NFL can't be told without mentioning Manning. Because of that, he deserves a bust in Canton.
