In their first year of eligibility, Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald have been selected as nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026.
Brees and Fitzgerald, two of the most prominent players in NFL history, led the passing game. Brees ranks second in all-time passing yards and touchdowns, while Fitzgerald is second in career receptions and receiving yards.
Eleven other players, also eligible for the first time, join the 128 nominees of the modern era for this year’s class.
Other Notable Nominees
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
Linebacker: Thomas Davis
In October, a selection committee will reduce the list to 50 candidates. Subsequently, the full selection committee, composed of 50 members, will select 25, and finally, 15 finalists. These finalists will be put to a vote at the selection meeting to be held before the Super Bowl in February.Drew Brees y Larry Fitzgerald, entre los 13 nominados en su primer año para la clase del Salón de la Fama del Fútbol Profesional 2026.Four players have already secured a spot among the 15 finalists, having reached the final seven in the 2025 class: Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri.
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 finalists from the modern era, the selection committee will consider three veteran players, a coach, and a contributor for the Class of 2026. Between four and eight new members will be chosen in the second year of this current format.
Last year, only four people were admitted, the smallest class in 20 years.
Brees and Fitzgerald are the main candidates this year.
Brees ranks second in history, behind Tom Brady, with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdown passes. He played the first five seasons of his career with the San Diego Chargers before signing as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 2006, where his career took off, helping to revitalize a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
Brees led New Orleans to its first Super Bowl title after the 2009 season, when he won the game’s MVP after defeating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Brees was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times in his career, won the AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, was All-Pro in 2006 and was second-team All-Pro four times.
Fitzgerald played his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals after being selected third overall in 2004. His 1,432 receptions and 17,492 receiving yards in 17 seasons place him second all-time, behind Jerry Rice.
Fitzgerald surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on nine occasions (tied for fourth all-time) and helped the Cardinals reach their only Super Bowl after the 2008 season. Fitzgerald set single-season records that postseason with 546 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions, including a 64-yard score with 2:37 to play before Pittsburgh rallied to win 27-23 against Arizona.
