Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Larry Fitzgerald Among Pro Football Hall of Fame Modern-Era Semifinalists
Five notable players have been selected as modern-era semifinalists for the Class of 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame. Quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, along with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, tight end Jason Witten, and running back Frank Gore, made it to this stage in their first year of eligibility.
Brees, who holds second place all-time for career passing yards (80,358) and touchdowns (571), spent five seasons with the San Diego Chargers before signing with the Saints in 2006. He went on to win Super Bowl XLIV as MVP after defeating Peyton Manning and the Colts in 2009. A 13-time Pro Bowler, Brees also earned AP Offensive Player of the Year honors twice.
Fitzgerald's impressive career statistics (1,432 receptions for 17,492 yards) place him second all-time, behind only Jerry Rice. He spent his entire 17-year tenure with the Arizona Cardinals and was instrumental in their only Super Bowl appearance following the 2008 season.
Rivers, a seven-time Pro Bowler, ranks seventh all-time in passing yards (63,440). He is also a two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year winner. The Chargers quarterback led his team to multiple playoff appearances during his tenure.
Witten and Gore round out the semifinalists. Witten, one of the most prolific tight ends in history with 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards, was an All-Pro twice and a second-team All-Pro three times.
Gore's impressive rushing statistics (16,000 yards) place him third all-time in career rushing yards. He had nine seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing and five Pro Bowl selections during his eight-year tenure.
The Modern Era semifinalists will be reduced to the final 15 finalists, who will be voted on before the Super Bowl in February. This class includes four returning players who have already secured spots in the final group: Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri.
Five notable players have been selected as modern-era semifinalists for the Class of 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame. Quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, along with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, tight end Jason Witten, and running back Frank Gore, made it to this stage in their first year of eligibility.
Brees, who holds second place all-time for career passing yards (80,358) and touchdowns (571), spent five seasons with the San Diego Chargers before signing with the Saints in 2006. He went on to win Super Bowl XLIV as MVP after defeating Peyton Manning and the Colts in 2009. A 13-time Pro Bowler, Brees also earned AP Offensive Player of the Year honors twice.
Fitzgerald's impressive career statistics (1,432 receptions for 17,492 yards) place him second all-time, behind only Jerry Rice. He spent his entire 17-year tenure with the Arizona Cardinals and was instrumental in their only Super Bowl appearance following the 2008 season.
Rivers, a seven-time Pro Bowler, ranks seventh all-time in passing yards (63,440). He is also a two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year winner. The Chargers quarterback led his team to multiple playoff appearances during his tenure.
Witten and Gore round out the semifinalists. Witten, one of the most prolific tight ends in history with 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards, was an All-Pro twice and a second-team All-Pro three times.
Gore's impressive rushing statistics (16,000 yards) place him third all-time in career rushing yards. He had nine seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing and five Pro Bowl selections during his eight-year tenure.
The Modern Era semifinalists will be reduced to the final 15 finalists, who will be voted on before the Super Bowl in February. This class includes four returning players who have already secured spots in the final group: Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri.
and Larry Fitzgerald is insane with all those receptions! 
i mean we know he's awesome but not as much as some other guys. anyway, it's gonna be interesting to see who makes it into the final 15 finalists 
Drew Brees is def one of the Gs tho, all that passing yardage is insane! 
Philip Rivers is underrated in my opinion, people always talk about Rivers as if he's not as good as other QBs. 
Jason Witten is like the ultimate tight end, 1,228 receptions and counting 
. AND CAN YOU BELIEVE THERE ARE ONLY 4 RETURNING PLAYERS ALREADY SECURED SPOTS? I'M HYPED TO SEE WHO MAKES THE FINAL CUT!!!
. Rivers has been on a wild ride, and Witten's stats are insane... I think this semifinalist group is gonna make it easy for them to get in 
Drew Brees and Philip Rivers are like my GOAT QBS of all time!!! How can they not get in?! Larry Fitzgerald is already a legend with those insane reception numbers 
And Frank Gore is the real MVP when it comes to rushing yards - 16,000+ yards is like whoa!!!! 
But what really impressed me is the consistency he had throughout his career. 13 Pro Bowls? That's a lot of recognition for one player. 
Jason Witten and Frank Gore too - they both had amazing careers that deserve some serious recognition. And Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri are all returning players who've already secured spots in the final group? That's just awesome! 
drew brees is like a legend man! i was wondering how he did it all without getting hurt, but apparently he's been taking care of himself pretty well 
philip rivers seems cool too, i need to check out some of his games. what's the deal with these semifinalists tho? are they voting on who gets in or is it like a surprise announcement 
. I mean, seven Pro Bowls and two Comeback Player of the Year awards are no joke! 
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I mean, 1,432 receptions in 17 years is some next level stuff. And Philip Rivers has been so consistent throughout his career, 63,440 passing yards is no joke 
I tried to check the voting progress but it's always stuck on "processing..." . Like, come on guys! Get it together. And why do they have to make us wait till February to know who made the cut?! Can't they just give us some updates every now and then?
. And can we talk about Fitz's receptions record? 17,492 yards? That's insane! 
#PFHOF #HallOfFameVibes #FootballLegend
. Drew Brees, with his impressive career stats, is definitely a strong contender 
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. And don't even get me started on how they always have to announce these groups in batches... can't we just get a straight answer already?! 
Philip Rivers has been underrated in my opinion, always consistent and clutch when it matters most 
Can't wait to see who gets inducted next February! 
those stats are insane! Drew Brees holding second place all-time for career passing yards is crazy. And Larry Fitzgerald's receptions and yards are like wow how did he do it?