NFL: Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald among Hall of Fame inductees

The Pro Football Hall of Fame unveiled its 2026 induction class during the NFL Honours ceremony on Thursday night, with five players selected for enshrinement later this year.

Quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald were both elected in their first year of eligibility. They will be joined by kicker Adam Vinatieri and linebacker Luke Kuechly, who were each in their second year of eligibility, while former San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig was selected as a Seniors finalist.

As with previous classes, the 2026 group also drew attention for notable omissions. Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft were among the contributors, coaches and Seniors finalists who were not selected. Belichick, who became eligible for the Hall for the first time this year, was left out amid widespread criticism following reports of his omission.

“His stats speak for themselves,” Vinatieri said of Belichick, for whom he played six seasons in New England. “I thought he’d have a real good chance to be up there as well. The people who voted made their votes and I think he’ll be up here one day.”

The Hall of Fame’s board of selectors chose the class during a virtual meeting in January. The five inductees will be enshrined on August 8 in Canton, Ohio, with the class slightly larger than last year’s group of four.

Brees retired following the 2020 season after a storied career with the New Orleans Saints. A 13-time Pro Bowl selection, he led the NFL in passing seven times and recorded a record five seasons with at least 5,000 passing yards.

His 80,538 career passing yards were the most in league history at the time of his retirement, a mark later surpassed by Tom Brady.

Fitzgerald finished his career second all-time in receiving yards and receptions, and sixth in receiving touchdowns. An 11-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team, he will become the first Hall of Famer to have spent his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals.

“One of the coolest moments was getting up on that stage with all the other Hall of Famers,” Fitzgerald said after the ceremony. “That moment kind of crystallized it for me.”

Vinatieri retires as the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points and holds league records for field goal attempts, made field goals, games played and consecutive field goals made.

Over a 24-year career with the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, he kicked 29 game-winning field goals, including a record 10 in overtime, and holds multiple postseason kicking records. He was also named to the NFL’s 100th anniversary team.