The list of 128 modern-era players eligible to be voted into the Class of 2026 of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced on Wednesday, marking 13 players' first time being included in the list.
The 13 first-year eligible players include quarterbacks Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Alex Smith; wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald; 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 big names in this list are led by former Saints quarterback Drew Brees and former Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
The full list consists of 128 players, meaning the other 115 players were previously eligible for the Hall of Fame.
The next announcement made by the Hall of Fame will be in mid-October when the list of 128 players will be reduced to the top-50. After that, there will be 25 semifinalists named. There will be 15 finalists after that, and either three, four or five modern-era players will be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Class of 2026. So, Wednesday's full announcement is the first step in a long process this season.
Last year's class consisted of four inductees: defensive end Jared Allen, wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, cornerback Eric Allen and tight end Antonio Gates. The finalists not chosen last year, who are eligible again this year, include Eli Manning, Steve Smith Sr., Terrell Suggs, Jahri Evans, Fred Taylor, Reggie Wayne, Darren Woodson and Marshal Yanda. Additionally, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri were included in the top seven of last year's ballot, meaning they will automatically be in this year's final list.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald Headline 13 NFL Players Eligible for Hall of Fame in 2026.
