Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald headline 5-member Hall of Fame class of 2026

SAN FRANCISCO — One of the most prolific passers in NFL history and one of the league’s most dominant receivers are among five players who will enter the hallowed halls of Canton, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday. Quarterback Drew Brees, receiver Larry Fitzgerald, running back Roger Craig, linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker Adam Vinatieri make up the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026. The Hall’s 50-person selection committee met virtually in January to take its annual vote. Brees, Fitzgerald, Kuechly and Vinatieri are the four modern-day candidates to win Gold Jackets, while Craig is the only senior candidate. Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was not elected in his first year of eligibility as the sole coaching candidate, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft did not advance as the sole contributing candidate. Additionally, for a second straight year, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning failed to make the finals. Brees and Fitzgerald were elected in their first year of eligibility, while Kuechly and Vinatieri passed their second year as runners-up. The five newly elected members bring the Hall’s membership to 287. The new members will be enshrined Aug. 8 in Canton. Brees finished his 20-year NFL career second all-time behind Tom Brady with 80, 358 passing yards and 571 touchdown passes. He spent his first five seasons with the Chargers before signing with the Saints in 2006. Fellow Chargers quarterback and Hall of Famer Dan Fouts broke the good news to Brees. In New Orleans, Brees won the franchise’s first Super Bowl title, earning MVP honors after defeating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in 2009. The title helped a city recover from Hurricane Katrina. Brees made the Pro Bowl 13 times, won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, was a first-team All-Pro in 2006 and second-team All-Pro four times. Fitzgerald was drafted third overall in 2004 and spent his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals. His 1,432 catches and 17,492 receiving yards in 17 seasons rank him second all-time behind Jerry Rice. Fitzgerald topped 1,000 receiving yards nine times and helped the Cardinals reach their only Super Bowl, following the 2008 season. He set single-season playoff records with 546 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. Kuechly earned Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors during his eight-year career with the Carolina Panthers. He led the league in tackles twice and became only the fifth player in the NFL since tackles were recorded to eclipse 100 in eight consecutive seasons. Kuechly was named to the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2010s. Vinatieri, who played for 24 seasons in the NFL, earned a reputation as the NFL’s highest-scoring kicker in playoff history. He provided the margin of victory in two of New England’s three Super Bowl victories during his tenure with last-second field goals – against the St. Louis Rams (20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI) and the Panthers (32-29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII). Vinatieri finished his career in 2019 with the league record for points (2,673), consecutive field goals made (44), career field goals (599) and most seasons with at least 100 points (21). He is a member of the NFL 100 All-Time Team and the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s. The only senior prospect to qualify, in 1985 Craig became the first player in league history to post 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Since then, only Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey have accomplished this feat. A four-time Pro Bowler, Craig won three Super Bowls as the consummate chess piece for offensive innovator Bill Walsh’s San Francisco 49ers. Craig’s 13,100 scrimmage yards rank 49th in league history.