Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey is among the betting favorites to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, among first-ballot players, according to odds posted this week by BetOnline.ag, but Pouncey still faces an overall uphill battle to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio next year.
Pouncey has the fourth-best odds of any first-time-eligible player for the Class of 2026, behind only Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. But at 10/1, the implied odds of being enshrined as a first-ballot selection are just 9.1%.
Fitzgerald (95.2%) and Brees (90%) are seen as near-locks, according to their implied odds, while Witten is just under a coin flip at 40%.
Following Pouncey are former Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy (4.8%), San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (3.9%), Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (3.9%), Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins (3.2%), Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen (2.8%), New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (2.4%) and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (2%).
Four first-time-eligible players advanced as semifinalists for the Class of 2025, but none were selected to be enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week. Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri will all have to wait until next year.
One first-time eligible selection was made in 2024: Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers. Two such players were elected in 2023: New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas.
Pouncey spent all 17 years of his NFL career with the Steelers after being the team’s first-round pick out of Florida in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro, a three-time second-team All-Pro and a nine-time Pro Bowler over the course of his career.
Pouncey was also named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, and was selected to the Steelers Hall of Honor earlier this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Maurkice Pouncey Hall of Fame Odds Revealed for 2026
