This year’s four-person class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame of Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe was the smallest since 2005. But that likely will change next year.
For starters, there are a handful of first-time eligible candidates with sterling résumés, including Larry Fitzgerald, Drew Brees and Frank Gore. In the coaching category, Bill Belichick will be eligible for the first time. All four have a good chance to make it into the Hall as first-time candidates.
Add to that a handful of players who have been knocking on the door as repeat finalists — Torry Holt, Willie Anderson and Reggie Wayne — and it seems likely we’ll have more than four candidates make it into Canton in 2026. Anderson, Holt, Adam Vinatieri and Luke Kuechly were among the final seven modern-era candidates this year. They automatically advance to the final 15 for the upcoming process.
Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 2. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, players must be retired for at least five years, while the wait for coaches was reduced from five years to one. Before the 2025 class, voters in the modern-era category cut the field from 10 to five and then voted on those five players separately. If a player got 80% of the vote, they were in, and nearly all of them made it once they got to that point.
However, the Hall implemented stricter rules last year to ensure exclusivity of membership, allowing at least four inductees but no more than eight from the 20 finalists selected (15 modern-day finalists and a high of five from seniors, coach and contributors categories).
The 15 modern-day finalists are cut from 10 to seven. Voters are then asked to vote for five of those candidates, with 80% still the standard and the minimum set at three. If three do not get 80%, then the top three vote-getters move on. The new voting structure has led to a splintering of the vote from the selection committee, making it harder for players to get into the Hall.
As a member of the 50-person Hall of Fame selection committee, I’ve had the honor of voting on these candidates annually. It’s always a grueling process featuring long, challenging debates that lead to deserving candidates ultimately donning gold jackets.
Here’s a first look at some of the top candidates for the upcoming class.
Good shot
Head coach Bill Belichick
Leading the New England Patriots, Belichick built the greatest dynasty in NFL history, winning an NFL-record six Super Bowls as a head coach. He also won two titles as a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants and helped to develop the greatest player in league history in quarterback Tom Brady. In Belichick’s 24 seasons in New England, the Patriots won 17 AFC East titles, made 13 appearances in the AFC Championship Game and went to nine Super Bowls. Open the doors to Canton.
QB Drew Brees
Drew Brees ranks second all time in passing yards and passing touchdowns, behind Tom Brady. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The Purdue product led the New Orleans Saints to a victory in Super Bowl XLIV, taking home MVP honors. A 13-time Pro Bowler, Brees led the league in passing seven times. He ranks second all time in passing yards (80,358) and second in passing touchdowns (571). Seems like a no-brainer.
WR Larry Fitzgerald
Only Jerry Rice has more receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492) than Fitzgerald. That’s pretty good company. Fitzgerald was a complete receiver who also took pride in run blocking and served as a model player for the Arizona Cardinals’ franchise. He deserves a gold jacket.
RB Frank Gore
Gore finished as the No. 3 rusher in NFL history with 16,000 rushing yards over 16 NFL seasons. A five-time Pro Bowler, Gore rushed for more than 1,000 yards nine times and helped to lead the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl after the 2012 season.
WR Torry Holt
A six-time finalist and one of the cornerstones of the Rams‘ “Greatest Show on Turf,” Holt finished with 920 career receptions for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons. Part of a logjam at receiver over the years, Holt has been patient and deserves to take that next step into Canton.
Puncher’s chance
OT Willie Anderson
Considered one of the best right tackles during his time in the league, Anderson is a five-time finalist at a position that has proved hard to move forward in the process. But his candidacy has gained steam and he finished in the top seven last year, giving him a chance to be in the mix for 2026.
OG Jahri Evans
Another talented lineman who was a finalist for the second time in his third year of eligibility. A six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Evans served as an anchor up front for one of the most dominant offenses of his era, led by Drew Brees.
S Rodney Harrison
A two-time finalist, Harrison surprisingly was not a finalist this year. He deserves another look because his stats match up favorably with other top safeties during his era. He was a ferocious hitter and versatile player during his 15 NFL seasons. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Harrison totaled 34 interceptions and 30 sacks over his career. He is in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame and the Chargers‘ Hall of Fame.
LB Luke Kuechly
A first-team or second-team All-Pro in seven of the eight years he played, Kuechly won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013 and was a member of the league’s 2010 All-Decade team. I’m surprised that he didn’t get in last year, and he certainly should be in the running this time around. Kuechly’s numbers are similar to those of Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis, who was enshrined in his third year of eligibility.
K Adam Vinatieri
Considered the most clutch kicker in NFL history, Vinatieri made the final seven in his first year of eligibility and will be in the running again this year. A four-time Super Bowl champion, Viniatieri is the NFL’s all-time leader in field goal attempts (715), field goals made (599) and points scored (2,763). But it’s just harder for kickers to get into the Hall.
WR Reggie Wayne
A six-time finalist, Wayne has been mired in the glut of receivers working their way through the challenging process of making it to Canton. Wayne is one of nine players in NFL history with at least 1,000 receptions, 14,000 yards and 80 touchdowns.
TE Jason Witten
Longtime Cowboy Jason Witten ranks fourth all time in receptions — among all pass-catchers not just tight ends. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Statistically, Witten measures up to some of the greatest tight ends in league history. Only Tony Gonzalez has more than Witten’s 1,228 receptions, which ranks No. 4 all time in the NFL. His 13,046 receiving yards are No. 20 in the NFL and second among tight ends to Gonzales.
Uphill climb
RB Marshawn Lynch
While Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” defense garnered much of the attention nationally, the Seahawks would not have reached back-to-back Super Bowls without Lynch serving as the engine of the offense. From 2011 to 2014, Lynch was dominant, totaling 5,357 rushing yards and scoring 56 touchdowns over that time. The five-time Pro Bowler’s 10,419 rushing yards rank just No. 29 all time, but in the postseason, he’s eighth all time with 970 rushing yards.
QB Eli Manning
A two-time Super Bowl champ and Super Bowl MVP, Manning’s performance in the postseason is worthy of the Hall of Fame. The issue for voters is how he performed during the regular season. Manning finished 117-117 as a starter, including 9-26 in his final three seasons. His career 84.1 passer rating is No. 60 in NFL history. Manning was never an All-Pro and went to only four Pro Bowls, so he was never considered among the elite QBs during his time in the league.
QB Philip Rivers
One of the NFL’s Iron Men, Rivers’ 252 games played is second to Brett Favre for quarterbacks in league history. Rivers is the all-time passing leader in Chargers history and No. 6 in passing yards (63,440) and No. 6 in passing touchdowns (421) in league history. However, he went 5-7 in the postseason and never reached a Super Bowl.
WR Steve Smith
A finalist for the first time in 2025, Smith won the triple crown in 2005, leading the league in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions. He finished his career No. 8 in receiving yards and No. 12 in receiving touchdowns. Smith was a dominant player for the Carolina Panthers during a time when they didn’t have a lot of playmakers.
OLB Terrell Suggs
Suggs was a finalist in his first year of eligibility. His 139 sacks place him No. 8 in NFL history. All seven players above Suggs on the list are Hall of Famers, so that bodes well for his chances of eventually getting into Canton.
RB Fred Taylor
Taylor finished his career with 11,695 rushing yards, No. 17 all time in NFL history. The only players above him on the list not in the Hall of Fame are Gore, who just became eligible this year, and Adrian Peterson.
Others to consider: David DeCastro, Julian Edelman, Todd Gurley, LeSean McCoy, Greg Olsen, Maurkice Pouncey, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson, Marshal Yanda
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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