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Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Sterling Sharpe were elected as Hall of Famers in 2025 as a part of the smallest Hall of Fame class in 20 years. So few inductions will open up the door for a bigger 2026 Hall of Fame class. On Wednesday, 128 modern era players were nominated to be immortalized in football history as a part of the 2026 class.
The screening committee will reduce the list of former superstars from 128 to 50 players in October. The list will then be cut down to 25 semifinalists, then 15 finalists, and finally, three to five players will be chosen to officially don the gold jacket. There are 13 players in their first year of eligibility. Overall, 77 offensive players, 42 defensive players, and nine special teamers can be voted in. So, among these modern era players, who deserves to be enshrined in the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame? Check out the gallery to find out.
Drew Brees is one of 13 players in their first year of Hall of Fame eligibility. Unlike fellow first-time signal callers, Alex Smith and Philip Rivers, Brees will almost certainly get in on his first try. Brees was somewhat of the modern-day Dan Marino. They both put up massive numbers and always ran high-octane offenses. The difference was that Brees won a Super Bowl, which is a near necessity for quarterbacks when it comes to getting into the Hall of Fame.
Brees was so dominant from a statistical perspective that he ranks second in all-time passing yards with 80,358. The only other player to surpass the 80,000 mark is Tom Brady, the greatest NFL player of all time. Brees is also second all-time in passing touchdowns (571) and completions (7,142).
The fact that Brees found success under center for so long is a testament to his hard work and talent. After all, it looked like his career would be coming to a close right after it got going, as he suffered a nasty labrum injury early on in his career while with the San Diego Chargers. Brees would go on to revolutionize how offenses run and really help popularize the passing game during his time with the New Orleans Saints.
Brees won an MVP and two Offensive Player of the Year awards during his career. The 13-time Pro Bowler was not only just the second 5,000-yard passer ever, but he holds the record for most seasons surpassing that mark with five. He led the league in passing yards seven times, in passer rating twice, in completion percentage six times, and in passing touchdowns four times.
Few, if any, have combined offensive aggression with ball security quite like Brees. His numbers alone will get him in the Hall of Fame, but his impact on how the sport is played is what will really last the test of time.
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