The 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class was revealed Thursday at the annual NFL Honors. Five players earned enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, with two first-time eligible players making the cut.
The 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class! 👏 pic.twitter.com/2qRLhNojZ8
— ESPN (@espn) February 6, 2026
Super Bowl XLIV-winning quarterback Drew Brees and former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald joined 2025 finalists Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri as inductees. Three-time Super Bowl-winning running back Roger Craig was elected from the senior category.
Snubs from this year's class included two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and linebacker Terrell Suggs. They'll have another chance in 2027, but will face more stiff competition from some additional first-time eligible candidates entering the ballot.
That list includes at least 16 players that the voting committee will have to consider and whittle down. Most won't make it past the initial cutoff in their first year, but let's evaluate their chances of landing in Canton at some point.
Welcome to the Hall
Adrian Peterson, RB (2007-21)
Rob Gronkowski, TE (2010-21)
These two players were icons at their respective positions when they were active. Peterson was the 2012 MVP, a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro selection. Despite his steep decline in production over the final few seasons of his career and some dire off-field financial troubles, he'll have no issues earning at least 40 votes from the committee.
Gronkowski has four Lombardi Trophies to his name — largely benefitting from playing on the same team as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick — but his stats speak for themselves. As a five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro selection, Gronkowski is in the same echelon of tight ends as Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and Shannon Sharpe — all Hall of Famers themselves.
Might be a short wait
Ben Roethlisberger, QB (2004-21)
Richard Sherman, CB (2011-21)
Eric Weddle, S (2007-21)
Alex Mack, C (2009-21)
Three of the four players listed here are guaranteed to have to wait at least a couple years before enshrinement, given that classes can be no bigger than five members. The exception is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger: A pair of Super Bowl wins and six Pro-Bowl nods shine brightly on his resume, although he may suffer the same delay as 2025 and 2026 finalist Eli Manning due to other deserving candidates in line.
Sherman, Weddle and Mack are all members of the league's 2000s All-Decade Team. They each have Hall of Fame-worthy resumes, but the fact that their careers really faded in latter years only gives the voting committee more reason to delay enshrinement.
Get ready for some serious debate
Cam Newton, QB (2011-21)
Antonio Brown, WR (2010-21)
Andrew Whitworth, G (2006-21)
Gerald McCoy, DT (2010-21)
Cam Newton doesn't have a ring on his resume, but he did earn the 2015 MVP while leading the Carolina Panthers on a 15-1 run to the Super Bowl. His rollercoaster career saw some very high highs and very low lows across 11 seasons, which begs the question: Will he ever get in?
Antonio Brown is a player nobody wants to touch with a 20-foot pole at the moment given his recent run-ins with the law. But his football accomplishments shout Hall of Fame: He averaged 114 receptions for 1,525 yards and 11 touchdowns per season from 2013-18 before unceremoniously quitting the game (literally) midseason in 2021. It could be character that keeps him out of Canton altogether.
Whitworth and McCoy will come down to the committee's judgement. The pair were pivotal in their respective roles but suffer from playing at positions that get overlooked unless you were the unquestioned best during your career.
Probably not a Hall of Famer
Le'Veon Bell, RB (2013-21)
Joe Haden, DB (2010-21)
Ryan Kerrigan, OLB (2011-21)
Malcom Jenkins, DB (2009-21)
Brandon Brooks, G (2012-21)
Dont'a Hightower, ILB (2012-21)
This group of players had their moments and bring a serious nostalgia factor for those fans that grew up with the NFL over the last 15 years. However, none of them have a serious case for Hall of Fame enshrinement.
The six of them have a combined 15 Pro Bowl nods, yet a complete lack of All-Pro selections seriously hampers their credentials. Jenkins, Brooks and Hightower were members of Super Bowl-winning teams, at least, which may give them a slight leg up on the rest.
Could any of them eventually find their way to Canton? Sure, but nearly their entire 20-year window will be up by the time that potentially happens. There's a lot of waitlisted talent they'd have to (controversially) jump in the meantime.