As we approach the midpoint of the season it’s also midway for the Pro Football Hall of Fame process. The finalists for the 2026 class were announced on Wednesday, including first ballot players who will be considered for the first time.
The list will now be thinned down to the final 15, of which between four and nine players will be selected to enter Canton. We already know some of the finalists for 2026, with players who were finalists in 2025, but not selected getting an automatic bid into the finals this year. Those players are: Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri.
With 11 more open spots we look at the eight first ballot players up this year, and rank their chances of making it into the Hall of Fame. For the purposes of their resume we’re only counting being a first team All-Pro as satisfying the conditions for recognition.
8. Maurkice Pouncey, C — Pittsburgh Steelers
Resume: 2x All-Pro, 9x Pro Bowl
Maurkice Pouncey was truly a game-changing center, he just began his career a touch too late to get the rings that evaded him. Too much is often made of Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to stand tall in the pocket, but Pouncey made life very easy for him when it came to interior pressure.
Finishing last in this list isn’t indicative of whether or not Pouncey belongs in Canton, but rather the stacked class he walks into. It often takes a while for offensive linemen to get in the Hall of Fame, and it seems unlikely Pouncey will be considered until they enshrine Jason Kelce in a couple of years.
7. Greg Olsen, TE — Carolina Panthers
Resume: 3x Pro Bowl
Greg Olsen’s career does not meet the Hall of Fame criteria, simply because the window of being impactful was far too short. That said, from 2014 to 2016 nobody dominated the position like Olsen, registering three-straight 1,000 yards seasons.
The core problem here is that there’s another tight end we’ll get to in a bit who deserves to go in over Olsen. So, why does he come in 7th? Well, there are weird tilts when it comes to the Hall of Fame race, and the fact everyone loves Olsen for his broadcast career could honestly have an impact on his perception among voters.
6. LeSean McCoy, RB — Philadelphia Eagles/Buffalo Bills
Resume: 2x Champion, 2x All-Pro, 6x Pro Bowl
A legendary two-way back, Shady McCoy was fearsome in every phase of the game. When he wasn’t showing his shifty running up the middle, he was catching swing passes on the outside and taking them to the house. A star on both the Eagles and the Bills, McCoy managed to close out his career in phenomenal fashion with back-to-back Super Bowl wins the Chiefs in 2019, and Buccaneers in 2020 — where he wasn’t asked to do much on either team.
If we look at the group of running backs in Canton there’s no doubt McCoy should make the cut. The problem is that the list of guys coming down the pipe is deep, and Shady’s resume feels slightly too light to make it in.
5. Frank Gore, RB — San Francisco 49ers
Resume: 5x Pro Bowl
A modern iron man of the NFL, Frank Gore remained effective well into his mid-30s — which is unheard of for a running back. Playing for a preposterous 16 years at football’s most-brutal position, Gore cemented himself as third all-time in rushing yards, behind Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton.
Gore is another guy who could make it, but it’s unclear. He’s an outside shot in 2026 because of his career total, and it’s very possible that voters wait to enshrine Adrian Peterson first. From there it could be a long wait.
4. Jason Witten, TE — Dallas Cowboys
Resume: 2x All-Pro, 11x Pro Bowl
One of the greatest all-purpose tight ends in NFL history, Jason Witten wasn’t a flashy player — but damn if he wasn’t an effective one. An equally skilled receiver and blocker, he was the steadying force in a Cowboys offense that was often in flux for a lot of his career.
Putting up multiple 1,000 yards seasons with Tony Romo under center, Witten was one of those guys who would always finish among the top tight ends in the NFL, but play with such a quietude he was the ultimate Mr. Reliable in the NFL.
One of the two tight ends will get in first ballot, and Witten’s resume is a lot stronger than Olsen’s — so he gets the nod here.
3. Philip Rivers, QB — San Diego Chargers
Resume: 8x Pro Bowl
It seemed impossible that anyone would challenge Dan Marino’s mantle of “Best QB never to win a ring,” and then Philip Rivers came along. A career that began bizarrely as being part of the infamous Eli Manning trade, concerns about Rivers’ awkward 3/4 sidearm release were quickly replaced with the realization he was one of the best to ever play the position.
The only reason that Rivers’ resume doesn’t look that impressive is that he played in an era where Tom Brady and Peyton Manning traded blows in the AFC, leaving the Chargers on the outside looking in. Rivers still finished his career with over 63,000 passing yards, 400 touchdowns, and 113 children.
Is his lack of postseason success enough to keep him out of Canton? It shouldn’t but only two quarterbacks: Dan Marino and Fran Tarkenton has made it in without a Super Bowl to their name.
2. Larry Fitzgerald, WR — Arizona Cardinals
Resume: 1x All-Pro, 11x Pro Bowl
A position often defined by selfishness, Larry Fizgerald was the ultimate pro’s pro, spending his entire career with the Cardinals and never making waves during their revolving door of quarterbacks, coaches, and personnel.
Sitting 4th in career receiving yards is a testament to just how technically sound Fitzgerald was, being one of the rare receivers with the talent to make his quarterback better. A technician in the purest sense of the word, Fitzgerald rarely made highlight reel plays, because the man didn’t need to. His route running was so devastatingly good, his positioning so perfect, that there was never a need to make a spectacular catch, because he was always in the best spot to get the ball.
Fitzgerald is an absolute lock to make it into Canton in his first attempt.
1. Drew Brees, QB — New Orleans Saints
Resume: 1x Champion, 1x All-Pro, 13x Pro Bowl
There’s Brady, there’s Peyton, then there’s Brees. We can functionally end the discussion here.
Brees is one of only two quarterbacks (along with Tom Brady) to finish his career with over 80,000 passing yards and he’s No. 2 all-time in passing touchdowns with 571. Another guy who was largely a victim of the Brady/Manning era, the Saints were perennial contenders who only managed to make it over the hump once.
When it comes to the Hall of Fame vote there is absolutely nothing that will stop Brees getting his bust in Canton.
