2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame: Meet the new members

One of the most accomplished passers in NFL history and one of the league’s most prolific pass catchers highlights the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

The class, announced Thursday night as part of the NFL Honors show in San Francisco, is led by quarterback Drew Brees, one of two quarterbacks. over 80,000 yardsand wide receiver larry fitzgeraldWho finished his career second only to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in career receptions and receiving yards.

He will be joined by linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker adam vinatieri. Running back Roger Craig, one of three senior finalists, will also be in the 2026 Hall class.

Brees and Fitzgerald are in their first year of eligibility, and Kuechly and Vinatieri are in their second year. Not in the class are former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who was a finalist from the coaches subcommittee, and New England owner Robert Kraft, a finalist from the contributors subcommittee.

This year’s class was selected by the Hall’s Board of Selectors in a virtual meeting. The new Hall of Famers will be enshrined on August 8 in Canton, Ohio.

Here’s a closer look at the Class of 2026.

Drew Brees, quarterback

San Diego Chargers, 2001–2005; New Orleans Saints2006-2020

Brees was relatively small in stature (6 feet, 209 pounds), but he compensated with uncanny accuracy and instincts in the pocket, not to mention a computer-like ability to read defenses. It wasn’t an easy road for Brees, a second-round pick by the Chargers in 2001. he was replaced philip rivers And in 2005 he suffered a major injury to his throwing shoulder, leading many to wonder whether he would ever be the same. As it turned out, he got better. He signed with the Saints in 2006 and led them to their only Super Bowl championship three years later.

Why was he selected: Brees ranks second in passing yards (80,358), touchdown passes (571) and completions (7,142), and he is third in completion percentage (67.7%). He made 13 Pro Bowls and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year twice. He threw for more than 5,000 yards in a season an NFL-record five times. With Shawn Payton designing the offense and calling the plays, Brees played 54 consecutive regular season games with one touchdown pass. Clearly, he has too many passing marks to list.

Signature Moment: A simple thing – Super Bowl XLIV in Miami after the 2009 season. With accurate passing (32-for-39, 288 yards, two touchdowns), Brees was named MVP for his performance in the Saints’ 31–17 victory. indianapolis colts. It involves the story of Breeze and the comeback of the city of New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. –Simini

Quotable: “One of his biggest strengths was in the pocket. He was a really good foot athlete. He could move with subtlety and produce results. Decision making, making proper throws in the biggest moments and being a tough and courageous player like me – all that.” – Former Saints and current Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton

Roger Craig, running back

san francisco 49ers1983–1990; Los Angeles Raiders, 1991; minnesota vikings1993

Craig was a four-time Pro Bowl selection who played on three Super Bowl-winning teams in San Francisco. Hall of Fame 49ers coach Bill Walsh considered him a transformational player at the position and one of the key parts of the 49ers’ offense. Craig was the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 1,000 yards and receive at least 1,000 yards in the same season. He did so in 1985 while catching a league-leading 92 passes for 1,016 yards and six touchdowns and rushing for 1,050 yards and another nine scores.

Only two others have accomplished this feat – Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (1999) and Christian McCaffrey (2019).

Why was he chosen: The way Walsh used Craig forced defenses to adjust how they played and how they aligned against all the qualified players in the formation. He was a template for how running backs could be used as rushing yards and receiving threats in the decades to come.

Craig was named to the All-Decade Team of the 1980s and made the postseason every season of his career. Until his induction into office, he was the only player who was on the All-Decade teams of the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s who was not in the Hall of Fame.

Signature Moment: Craig’s high-knee walk was his trademark, but his 16-yard catch-and-run touchdown in Super Bowl miami dolphins. Craig had 135 yards from scrimmage with three touchdowns (one rushing, two receiving) in the game and was the first player to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. — Legvold

Quotable: “I never really got into the glamor as far as trying to be the main guy on the team.” –Craig

Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver

Arizona Cardinals2004-2020

For 17 seasons, Fitzgerald defined excellence. Drafted No. 3 by the Cardinals in 2004, he was consistent, durable, explosive and historically prolific. The wide receiver’s job, in its simplest form, is to catch the ball. Very few people did it better than Fitzgerald, who was incredibly convincing. He only had 35 drops.

Not only are his 1,431 receptions and 17,492 receiving yards better than any other player not named Jerry Rice, but Fitzgerald is more than 100 receptions and 1,500 yards away from the next best player.

Why was he selected: Fitzgerald was one of the most decorated receivers of his generation. He was named one of the NFL’s 100 Greatest Players, highlighting a resume that also included 11 Pro Bowls and selection to the 2010 All-Decade Team. The most remarkable thing about Fitzgerald was his longevity. He led the league in catches at age 22 (103) and did so again at age 33 (107). The gap of 11 years is the largest in history.

And unlike Rice, Fitzgerald did not have the fortune of being a Hall of Fame quarterback throughout his career. They had Kurt Warner for five seasons, but also had several years of musical quarterbacks in their offense. Fitzgerald rose above it all and provided credibility to a franchise that had reached the playoffs once (1998) in 21 seasons prior to his arrival.

Signature Moment: Some might say his 75-yard catch-and-run in overtime propelled the Cardinals’ 2015 divisional-round victory. green Bay PackersBut his 2008 postseason performance is impossible to ignore. In four games, including Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald was completely dominant – 30 receptions, 546 yards and seven touchdowns. Regardless of the situation, this is one of the greatest postseasons in history. –Simini

Quotable: “Greatness! I’ve coached a lot of great wide receivers in my time, but I’ve never seen one with hands as good as Larry’s. You rarely hear about the ball being knocked out of his hands. What he did both seasons I was with him was phenomenal, but what he did in the 2008 playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl and then in the Super Bowl game – it was phenomenal. He put the whole team on his back and took us from the Super Bowl about two minutes, 30 Took the title to seconds.” – Former Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley, ESPN

Luke Kuechly, linebacker

carolina panthers2012-2019

In an eight-year career it was all about quality. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, five-time All-Pro and an All-Decade selection for the 2010s.

He was also named Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, his second year in the league. Kuechly suffered at least three injuries in his career and after the 2019 season he said that retiring was “the right thing to do.”

Why was he chosen: Kuechly and Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor are the only linebackers to win Defensive Rookie of the Year as well as Defensive Player of the Year. A three-down, sideline-to-sideline force, Kuechly had at least 100 tackles in all eight of his seasons and led the league in tackles twice – in 2012 and 2014. Beyond the tackles, Kuechly intercepted 67 passes and made 18 interceptions.

Signature Moment: He was so good that he even doubled the signed moments. In the Panthers’ run to Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season, Kuechly returned interceptions for touchdowns in both the divisional round win over Seattle and the NFC Championship Game win over Arizona. — Legvold

Quotable: “Ever since I was a little kid there’s only been one way to play this game – play fast, play physical and play strong.” — Kuechly, on his retirement

Adam Vinatieri, kicker

new England Patriots1996-2005; Indianapolis Colts, 2006–2019

Vinatieri set every meaningful kicking record in his 24-year career. He holds the all-time records in field goal attempts (715), field goals made (599), games played (365), consecutive field goals made (44) and scoring (2,673 points).

He made 29 winning field goals, including a record 10 in overtime. He also holds the NFL postseason records for most points (238), most field goals attempted (69) and most field goals made (56).

Vinatieri was named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team and became the third pure place-kicker to be enshrined in the Hall, joining Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen.

Why was he chosen: Beyond the plethora of records, Vinatieri’s postseason reliability is the stuff of legend. In his 10 seasons with the Patriots, the team went to four Super Bowls and won three of them, as Vinatieri returned the winning kicks in two title-game victories.

In his 14 seasons with the Colts, the team went to two Super Bowls and won one. Vinatieri scored 11 points in the Colts’ 29–17 Super Bowl XLI win over the Bears in rain-hit Indianapolis.

Signature Moment: His 45-yard field goal in a driving blizzard sent the 2001 divisional game against the Raiders – the “Tuck Rule” game – into overtime. He then kicked the winner in OT. The Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl, and Vinatieri also kicked the winning field goal, as 14.5-point underdog New England defeated the Rams, 20–17, to begin their dynastic run. — Legvold

Quotable: “Adam Vinatieri is the greatest kicker of all time who made the greatest kick of all time.” — Belichick on when Vinatieri retired from the NFL