Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Pro Football Hall Narrows 2026 Field to 52 Modern-Era Players, 12 Coaches and 34 Seniors

Next, the 50-member Selection Committee will trim the field again under updated eligibility rules with ballots validated by Ernst & Young.

Overview

  • Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Philip Rivers, Jason Witten, Greg Olsen, Maurkice Pouncey and LeSean McCoy advanced in their first year of eligibility among the 52 players.
  • Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri automatically move into this cycle’s Final 15 after finishing in last year’s final seven.
  • The Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee cut its list to 12, including Bill Belichick, with a reduction to nine semifinalists due in early November and one coach finalist to be chosen in mid-November.
  • The Seniors group was reduced to 34 by the Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee, with a further cut to nine semifinalists expected in about four weeks.
  • The full Selection Committee will reduce the 52 Modern-Era players to 25 semifinalists in about five weeks, with final selections made before the Super Bowl and enshrinement set for next August in Canton, Ohio, for a class of four to eight members.