Drew Brees, Eli Manning Among 26 to Advance in 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Voting

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 26 modern-era player semifinalists for the Class of 2026 on Tuesday.

First-time-eligible players in quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, running back Frank Gore, quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Jason Witten headline the list of semifinalists.

Also, several finalists from 2025 are back in the semifinal round, such as quarterback Eli Manning, wide receivers Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt, linebackers Terrell Suggs and Luke Kuechly, running back Fred Taylor and kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Given their long, productive and legendary careers, Brees and Fitzgerald are widely considered the top candidates to be elected as first-ballot Hall of Famers.

Brees played 20 NFL seasons, and he is best remembered for his 15-year run with the New Orleans Saints after spending his first five campaigns with the San Diego Chargers.

The Purdue alum was a 13-time Pro Bowler, one-time First Team All-Pro and two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Most notably, Brees led the Saints to their first and only Super Bowl win at the conclusion of the 2009 season, and he was named the Super Bowl XLIV MVP.

Brees ranks second in NFL history in many major passing categories behind only Tom Brady. That includes passing yardage (80,358), passing touchdowns (571) and completions (7,142). He also has the third-best completion percentage in league history among qualified players at 67.7 percent.

Fitzgerald spent his entire 17-year NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals, securing 11 Pro Bowl nods and one First Team All-Pro selection.

He is second in NFL history in receptions (1,432) and receiving yardage (17,492) behind only the iconic Jerry Rice, and he ranks sixth with 121 touchdown catches.

Fitzgerald is also one of the greatest playoff performers in NFL history with 57 receptions for 942 yards and 10 touchdowns in only 10 postseason games. He played a sizable role in the Cards' shocking run to the Super Bowl in 2008.

Gore, who spent 10 of his 16 NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, is third on the NFL's all-time rushing yardage list with 16,000 yards.

A Charger for 16 of his 17 NFL seasons, Rivers ranks sixth all time in passing touchdowns (421), seventh in passing yards (63,440) and ninth in completions (5,277).

Witten played 16 of his 17 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, and he is fourth in NFL history among all players and second among tight ends in receptions with 1,228, and 21st among all players and second among tight ends in receiving yards with 13,046.

The biggest name among the returning semifinalists is Manning, whose brother Peyton Manning was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

If Eli is inducted into the Hall of Fame, he and Peyton will become only the second pair of brothers ever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining Shannon and Sterling Sharpe.

While Eli was only a four-time Pro Bowler and never an All-Pro in 16 NFL seasons with the New York Giants, he is 11th all time in passing yards (57,023), passing touchdowns (366) and completions (4,895).

However, most importantly, Manning won a pair of Super Bowls, and he was named Super Bowl MVP each time.

Both of those Super Bowl wins came at the expense of Brady and the New England Patriots, including in 2007 when Manning and the Giants spoiled the Pats' perfect season.

The 26 Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists will be pared down to 15 finalists, and 20 total finalists will be announced in early 2026 with five finalists from the coach, contributor and seniors categories joining the 15 modern-era finalists.

A Class of 2026 made up of between four and eight inductees will officially be announced during the NFL Honors awards show in February.