Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald among 2026 HOF candidates

Former Chargers teammates Philip Rivers and Drew Brees are among first ballot modern-era candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 announced Wednesday.

Brees, who went on to win a Super Bowl and reach prolific production levels as a quarterback with the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, tight ends Jason Witten and Greg Olsen and linebacker Thomas Davis also are on the list of newly eligible candidates with a total of 128 modern-era players receiving nominations.

At least three of the candidates will make of the Hall of Fame class announced before Super Bowl LX in February in Santa Clara, Calif.

The nominees are narrowed by the Hall of Fame selection committee to 25 semifinalists during the regular season.

From there a vote to reduce the list to 15 finalists among modern-era candidates is held and ultimately the class of 3-5, as stipulated by Hall of Fame rules, is decided from a list of seven during an annual selection meeting held Super Bowl week.

Only 11 true open spots exist because of the automatic advancement of candidates who reached the "final seven" vote last year.

Several of the quarterbacks eligible for the Hall are intertwined.

In 2004, Rivers was drafted and traded to the Chargers from the New York Giants for Eli Manning, another Super Bowl winner eligible for induction. Manning, selected No. 1 by the Chargers, was in the final 15 for the Class of 2025 in his first year of eligibility. When Brees became a free agent after the 2005 season, the Chargers offered less than he expected, opening the door for the Saints to sign Brees. He played in New Orleans until retiring in 2020.

Brees was Super Bowl XLIX MVP, a 13-time Pro Bowl selection and retired with 571 career touchdown passes and over 80,000 passing yards.

Rivers was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection in his 17 NFL seasons, all but one of which came with the Chargers. He played for the Colts in 2020.

Manning won Super Bowl XLII (2008) and Super Bowl XLVI (2012) with the Giants, beating seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady both times.

Former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor, wide receivers Torry Holt (Rams), Reggie Wayne (Colts) and Steve Smith Sr. (Panthers, Ravens), offensive tackle Willie Anderson, guards Mashal Yanda (Ravens) and Jahri Evans (Saints), linebackers Luke Kuechly (Panthers) and Terrell Suggs (Ravens, Cardinals), safety Darren Woodson (Cowboys) and kicker Adam Vinatieri (Patriots, Colts) also are returning 2025 finalists who weren't selected.

Pro Football Hall of Fame selection bylaws automatically advance any players who were in the final seven vote the prior year. This year, Anderson, Holt, Kuechly and Vinatieri begin the process in the final 15 for 2026.

--Field Level Media