The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 15 finalists for the Modern-Era Players category for the Class of 2026.
Eli Manning & Drew Brees Highlights 2026 Hall of Fame Finalists
The finalists for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame: pic.twitter.com/YAFxhMCH1p
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2025
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees headline the 2026 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Manning will attempt to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility. Last year, Manning was the most notable name left out of the 2025 class, which included cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates, and tight end Sterling Sharpe.
Like last year, Manning will have a tough time getting into this year’s class.
Meanwhile, Brees is a lock to be elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Brees is a former Super Bowl champion and league MVP who transformed into one of the NFL’s most prolific passers, owning the record for most 5,000-yard seasons (five).
Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is widely considered the other lock to make the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Other names that will be in contention are tackle Willie Anderson, linebacker Luke Kuechly, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, kicker Adam Vinatieri, tight end Jason Witten, and safety Darren Woodson.
- Willie Anderson, Tackle — 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
- Drew Brees, Quarterback — 2001-05 San Diego Chargers, 2006-2020 New Orleans Saints
- Jahri Evans, Guard — 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers
- 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
Descriptions via Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame Rules
Fifteen modern-era players have been announced as finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, presented by Visual Edge IT. https://t.co/TaEAQrqEfi @drewbrees @Saints pic.twitter.com/iBOQxeOebn
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) December 30, 2025
With the finalists announced, the Selection Committee will now vote on the players to be elected into the Class of 2026.
Each player must receive a vote of at least 80% to be elected. A maximum of five Modern-Era players can be enshrined in this year’s class.
The Selection Committee will also vote on senior candidates Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood; coaching finalist Bill Belichick; and contributor finalist Robert Kraft. One to three of these candidates will be elected into the Hall of Fame.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 will be announced at NFL Honors in February. The candidates will then be enshrined in August.
