The 2026 Hall of Fame class has been announced. While there are a few notable snubs, many of the players selected to enter the Hall of Fame are deserving candidates. Featuring the likes of Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, and Luke Keuchly, almost all of the new Hall of Famers are legends of the 2010s.
Now, it's time to look forward to the next Hall of Fame class. Aside from the entrants who missed the cut this year, there are a number of familiar faces for NFL fans who will be eligible for the Hall of Fame.
“The first-ballot headliners next year include Adrian Peterson, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and tight end Rob Gronkowski,” Jeff Legwold reported. “Each of those players played his last season in 2021.”
The three NFL legends will be joined by Terrell Suggs, Willie Anderson, and Marshal Yanda, the three candidates who missed the cut this year. Suggs, Anderson, and Yanda are all automatically finalists next season due to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's rules. Bill Belichick, who was notably omitted from this year's finalists, is likely to be the top coaching candidate next season, as is Robert Kraft for the owners.
Peterson is one of the game's most prolific running backs in league history. The star running back was a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro awardee. His most notable achievement came in the 2012 season. Just a year after tearing his ACL, Peterson rushed for over 2,000 yards to win his first and only NFL MVP award.
Roethlisberger, on the other hand, was one of the many great quarterbacks during the 2010s. Roethlisberger is one of the few quarterbacks who could say that they won a Super Bowl during Tom Brady's reign of terror. The Steelers quarterback has two Super Bowls to his name, as well as the title of the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
The thorn on Roethlisberger's side for most of his career was Gronkowski and the Patriots. One of the bastions of the Patriots' dynasty in the 2010s, Gronkowski was part of New England's dominant run during the decade. The star tight end was one of Brady's favorite targets, helping torment their opponents.
