Drew Brees and Philip Rivers Among Top Semifinalists for the 2026 Hall of Fame Class
Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and a group of other NFL stars have been named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.The announcement highlights a strong group of frist-year eligible players vying for enshrinement.
Brees, who spent 20 seasons in the NFL, finished second all-time in passing yards with 80,358 and touchdown passes with 571. He began his career with the San Diego Chargers (five seasons) before joining the New Orleans Saints in 2006, where he led the franchise to unprecedented success, especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Brees culminated his career with a Super Bowl XLIV victory following the 2009 season, earning MVP honors after defeating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.Throughout his career, he was a 13-time Pro Bowler, twice named AP Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011), and earned All-Pro honors in 2006, with four additional second-team All-Pro selections.
Joining Brees as a first-year eligible standout is Philip Rivers. Rivers amassed 63,440 passing yards over his career, ranking seventh all-time, and spent the majority of his time with the chargers. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler and earned the 2013 AP Comeback Player of the Year award.
The list of semifinalists also includes several other notable players:
* Larry Fitzgerald: The Arizona Cardinals legend retired with the second-most receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492) in NFL history, trailing only Jerry Rice. He reached 1,000 receiving yards nine times and led the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance after the 2008 season.
* Frank Gore: Ranking third all-time with 16,000 rushing yards, Gore recorded nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons and was a five-time pro Bowler.
* Robert Griffin III: A former washington Commanders quarterback.
* James Harrison: A former Pittsburgh steelers linebacker.
* Reggie Wayne: A former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver.
* Devin Hester: A former Chicago Bears return specialist.
* Steve Smith Sr.: A former Carolina Panthers wide receiver.
* Luke Kuechly: The carolina Panthers linebacker,despite an eight-year career,was a five-time all-Pro,seven-time Pro Bowler,and earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He led the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18), and passes defensed (66) during his career.
* Adam Vinatieri: The NFL’s all-time leading scorer (2,673 points) and field goal maker (599), Vinatieri was instrumental in the New England Patriots’ early dynasty, making game-winning kicks in their first two Super Bowl victories. He also holds the postseason records for field goals (56) and points (238).
* Torry Holt: A key member of the St. Louis Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf,” Holt helped the team win Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999. He led the NFL in receiving yards in 2000 and in both catches and yards in 2003, earning his only All-Pro selection. He finished his career with 920 receptions for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns.
* Willie Anderson: Considered one of the top right tackles of his era, Anderson was a first-round pick by Cincinnati in 1996 and earned three consecutive All-Pro selections from 2004-2006.
The Hall of Fame selection commitee will now reduce the list to 15 finalists, who will be announced in January. The Class of 2026 will be formally inducted in August of that year.
