Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald top list of 26 semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 race tightened Tuesday as five first-time eligible players — Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Philip Rivers and Jason Witten — advanced to the modern-era semifinalist stage. They join 21 returning candidates to form a field of 26 players still in contention for enshrinement. The reduction follows an initial pool of 128 modern-era nominees that was cut to 52 in October, and then pared down again this week. The list will be narrowed to 15 finalists later this year before the final voting round held ahead of Super Bowl LX.