Pro Football Hall Of Fame Announced 15 Modern-Era Player Finalists

Selecting new members happens every year and today we found out who it’s coming down to to get a bust of their own. Today the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 15 modern-era player finalists. It’s a prestigious honor to be included in the illustrious group of Hall of Famers. So former players hope that their name will be called to join their talented forebears.

Included on the list are four players — Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri — who advanced to this stage automatically due to each candidate reaching the Final 7 for election with the Class of 2025. Joining them are six other Finalists from a year ago, four first-year eligible candidates and one player in his sixth year of eligibility who is a Finalist for the first time.

The Class of 2026 will be unveiled publicly Feb. 5 during the “NFL Honors presented by Invisalign” broadcast from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The program will air on NBC and NFL Network and will be streamed on Peacock and NFL+.

The Modern-Era Players, along with their positions, years and teams are:

• Willie Anderson, Tackle — 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
• Drew Brees, Quarterback — 2001-05 San Diego Chargers, 2006-2020 New Orleans Saints
• Jahri Evans, Guard — 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers
• Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver — 2004-2020 Arizona Cardinals
• Frank Gore, Running Back — 2005-2014 San Francisco 49ers, 2015-17 Indianapolis Colts, 2018 Miami Dolphins, 2019 Buffalo Bills, 2020 New York Jets
• Torry Holt, Wide Receiver — 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
• Luke Kuechly, Linebacker — 2012-19 Carolina Panthers
• Eli Manning, Quarterback — 2004-2019 New York Giants
• Terrell Suggs, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End — 2003-2018 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
• Adam Vinatieri, Kicker — 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-2019 Indianapolis Colts
• Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver — 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts
• Kevin Williams, Defensive Tackle — 2003-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014 Seattle Seahawks, 2015 New Orleans Saints
• Jason Witten, Tight End — 2003-2017, 2019 Dallas Cowboys, 2020 Las Vegas Raiders
• Darren Woodson, Safety — 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys
• Marshal Yanda, Guard/Tackle — 2007-2019 Baltimore Ravens

Pro Football Hall Of Fame Announced 15 Modern-Era Player Finalists

Former San Diego Chargers and current Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers could have been a part of the 15 finalists. But since he came out of his retirement to play three games with the Colts his clock will reset. He will have to wait another five years before he can be considered for the Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. But even without Rivers there are some excellent names on the 2026 list such as another former Chargers’ quarterback Drew Brees. But he was primarily known for his stellar days as a New Orleans Saint.

Also we have standout kicker, Adam Vinatieri, famous for his game-winning kick against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He played multiple years for both the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. And we have fearsome defensive players like Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs and Darren Woodson. Along with a host of amazing offensive players. Looking forward to seeing who makes the final cut!

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