Overview

• Thirteen first‑year eligibles headline the list, including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Philip Rivers, Alex Smith, Frank Gore, LeSean McCoy, Jason Witten, Greg Olsen, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Geno Atkins, Jurrell Casey and Thomas Davis.
• The nominee pool comprises 77 offensive players, 42 defensive players and nine special‑teams players.
• Results of the Screening Committee’s reduction to 50 (plus ties) will be announced in mid‑October, with subsequent votes setting 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists later in the fall.
• Four candidates automatically occupy final‑15 slots this cycle after reaching last year’s final seven: Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri.
• Hall bylaws allow three to five modern‑era inductees and require an 80% vote threshold, with Ernst & Young overseeing tabulation and enshrinement scheduled for next August in Canton, Ohio.