Legendary quarterback Drew Brees and receiver Larry Fitzgerald headline the list of 128 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. Both were selected in their first year of eligibility, a testament to their historic careers. Brees retired second all-time in both passing yards and touchdowns, while Fitzgerald ranks second in career receptions and receiving yards.
Brees and Fitzgerald are among 13 first-year eligible players nominated this year. The group also includes quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Alex Smith; tight ends Greg Olsen and Jason Witten; running backs Frank Gore and LeSean McCoy; offensive linemen David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey; defensive linemen Geno Atkins and Jurrell Casey; and linebacker Thomas Davis.
The list of 128 nominees will be reduced by a screening committee to 50 in October. From there, a 50-member selection committee will trim the list to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists. The final vote for the Class of 2026 will take place before the Super Bowl in February.
Several familiar names return as finalists from previous years. Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri, who were all finalists for the 2025 class, will again be considered. Other returning finalists include Eli Manning, Fred Taylor, Steve Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshall Yanda, Terrell Suggs, and Darren Woodson.
In addition to the modern-era candidates, the selection committee will also consider one coach, one contributor, and three senior nominees. Under the current format, between four and eight new members are elected each year. The previous class was the smallest in two decades, with only four inductees.
Brees, who ranks second only to Tom Brady with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdowns, spent his first five seasons with the San Diego Chargers. His career reached legendary status after he signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2006, where he became an icon for a city recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Brees led the Saints to their first Super Bowl title in the 2009 season, earning game MVP honors. His decorated career includes 13 Pro Bowl selections and two AP Offensive Player of the Year awards.
Fitzgerald played his entire 17-year career with the Arizona Cardinals after being drafted third overall in 2004. He retired with 1,432 catches and 17,492 receiving yards, both second all-time only to Jerry Rice. An 11-time Pro Bowler, Fitzgerald is best remembered for leading the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance following the 2008 season, where he delivered a historic postseason performance. During that playoff run, he set still-standing records with 546 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches.
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