Fifteen former standouts in the National Football League have reached the doorstep of enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the announcement this morning of the Finalists in the Modern-Era Players category for the Class of 2026 presented by Visual Edge.
Included on the list are four players — Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri — who advanced to this stage automatically due to each candidate reaching the Final seven for election with the Class of 2025. Joining them are six other Finalists from a year ago, four first-year eligible candidates and one player in his sixth year of eligibility who is a Finalist for the first time.
The slate of candidates in the Modern-Era Players category will be considered when the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee meets prior to Super Bowl LX. The Class of 2026 will be unveiled publicly Feb. 5 during the “NFL Honors presented by Invisalign” broadcast from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The program will air on NBC and NFL Network and streamed on Peacock and NFL+.
The Modern-Era Players, along with their positions, years and teams 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
The Selection Committee may elect up to five Modern-Era Players for the Class of 2026; each must receive a minimum positive vote of 80% for election. Five others — Seniors category Finalists Kenny Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood; along with Coach Finalist Bill Belichick and Contributor Finalist Robert Kraft — also are candidates for the Class of 2026. 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.
While there is no set number for any class of Enshrinees, the Hall of Fame’s current selection process bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new members shall be selected.
The Finalists in the Modern-Era Players category were determined by the Hall’s independent Selection Committee from a list that originated with 128 nominees. It was reduced two other times (to 52 nominees and to 26 Semifinalists) before the cut to the 15 Finalists.
The selection process aligns with the Hall of Fame’s important Mission to “Honor the Greatest of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values and Celebrate Excellence Together.”
This year’s voting will be completed with oversight from the firm Ernst & Young LLP, a Hall partner since 2019. EY’s Agreed-Upon Procedures include validating the completeness of the ballots and tabulating the ballots in accordance with the bylaws established by the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 will be announced at “NFL Honors” in San Francisco in February and enshrined in August in Canton.
