Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald
headline 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame nominees
[September 25, 2025]
By JOSH DUBOW
Quarterback Drew Brees and receiver Larry Fitzgerald were picked in
their first year of eligibility as two of the nominees among modern
era players for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Brees and Fitzgerald were two of the most prolific producers in the
passing game in NFL history with Brees ranking second all time in
yards passing and touchdowns, and Fitzgerald ranking second in
career receptions and yards receiving.
Eleven other players in their first year of eligibility were picked
among the 128 modern-era nominees for this year's class.
The other nominees in their first year of eligibility are
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.
A screening committee will reduce the candidates to 50 in October
with the full 50-member selection committee reducing the list to 25
and then 15 finalists, who will be voted on by the selection meeting
before the Super Bowl in February.
Four players have already guaranteed themselves spots in the final
15 after making it down to the final seven players in the 2025 class
with Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri
taking those spots.
The other returning finalists are Eli Manning, Fred Taylor, Steve
Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshall Yanda, Terrell Suggs
and Darren Woodson.
In addition to the 15 modern era finalists, the selection committee
will consider three seniors, one coach and one contributor for the
Class of 2026. Between four and eight new members will be elected in
the second year of this current format.
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Larry Fitzgerald Jr. holds a ball on the field before an NFL
football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Baltimore
Ravens in New Orleans on Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert,
File)
Only four people got in last year for the smallest
class in 20 years.
Brees and Fitzgerald are the top new candidates this year.
Brees is second all time to Tom Brady with 80,358 yards passing and
571 touchdown passes. He spent the first five seasons of his career
with the San Diego Chargers before signing as a free agent with the
Saints in 2006, where his career took off as he helped revive a city
still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
Brees delivered New Orleans its first Super Bowl title following the
2009 season when he won MVP of the game after beating Peyton Manning
and the Indianapolis Colts. Brees made the Pro Bowl 13 times in his
career, won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, was an
All-Pro in 2006 and was a second-team All-Pro four times.
Fitzgerald spent his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals after
being drafted third overall in 2004. His 1,432 catches and 17.492
yards receiving in 17 seasons ranks second all time to Jerry Rice.
Fitzgerald topped 1,000 yards receiving nine times — tied for the
fourth most ever — and helped the Cardinals reach their only Super
Bowl following the 2008 season. Fitzgerald set single-season records
that postseason with 546 yards receiving and seven TD catches,
including a go-ahead 64-yard score with 2:37 to play before
Pittsburgh rallied for a 27-23 win over Arizona.
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