The 16 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Modern-Era players was announced on Tuesday, and it’s another stacked class.
In alphabetical order, the finalists are:
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
From this group, the committee can select up to five players for induction, and in order for a player to be selected, he must have a minimum positive vote of 80%.
In addition, the other category to be voted on is the Seniors category. Five players- Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood; along with Coach Finalist Bill Belichick and Contributor Finalist Robert Kraft- are candidates for the Class of 2026. According to the Hall, “Voting on these five is conducted separately as its own group distinct from the Modern-Era Players; a minimum of one person and a maximum of three from these combined categories may be elected under the Hall’s current bylaws.”
And while there is no designated number for each class, selection process bylaws state that between four and eight new members shall be selected.
The biggest consensus appears to be that Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald from the Modern-era players list will make it in, but the others are hotly contested.
Frank Gore ranks third on the NFL’s all-time rushing list (16,000 yards), trailing Hall of Famers Walter Payton (16,726) and Emmitt Smith (18,355), yet some don’t think Gore is deserving as he lacks a signature win or moment; those who feel this way are forgetting about his place on that elite list and his performance in Super Bowl XLVII (2013) where he ran for 110 yards and 1 TD and had the key play that put the 49ers at first and goal with a little over two minutes remaining and San Francisco trailing by five points.
What about Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne, both seven time finalists, multiple-time Pro Bowlers, ranked in the Top 20 on the all-time receiving yards list (17th and 10th, respectively) and both Super Bowl champions?
It will be another hotly debated selection process to finalize the Class of 2026 and some will be left out either again or for the first time.
The Class of 2026 will be announced at “NFL Honors” in San Francisco in February and will be enshrined in August in Canton.
