Looking at the 2026 ballot, it's possible that only one of the 15 finalist slots is actually in play. Here are the 14, who I will list by category and then alphabetically.
Four automatic selections due to finishing in last year's top 7:
1. Anderson
2. Holt
3. Kuechly
4. Vinatieri
Two first-ballot favorites who are locks as finalists:
5. Brees
6. Fitzgerald
Eight returning finalists:
7. Evans (top 10)
8. Manning (top 15)
9. Smith (top 15)
10. Suggs (top 15)
11. Taylor (top 15)
12. Wayne (top 15)
13. Woodson (top 10)
14. Yanda (top 10)
While past voting patterns have less relevance now with the new voting math, it's very possible that the above eight players are all back in the finals. I suppose voters could decide to slow down Eli, Steve Smith or one of the guards and send them back to the semis due to repetition at those positions, but it's not likely.
That leaves one finalist slot. I think voters will be inclined to give it to Philip Rivers, which would be a shame. We have All-Decade guys in their final two years of eligibility who have never been in the room: RICHMOND WEBB, CARNELL LAKE, STEVE WISNIEWSKI, MARK STEPNOSKI.
Only one eligible player in NFL history has won two major MVP awards and is not in Canton: RANDALL CUNNINGHAM. (1990 PFWA, 1998 NEA) He has never been in the room. RICKY WATTERS has 12 more rushing TDs than Fred Taylor and won on three franchises, setting records in San Fran for TDs in a playoff game (5) and tying for TDs in a Super Bowl (three). He's a 5x semifinalist, including four straight years, and he's never been in the room.
You also have mid-eligibility guys like NICK MANGOLD and KEVIN WILLIAMS who have been eligible for a while now without even hitting the semis. RODNEY HARRISON was a finalist two years ago and sent back to the semis. STEVE MCNAIR was 91-62 as a starter, split an MVP with Peyton Manning and was one yard away from sending a Super Bowl to overtime. DONOVAN MCNABB was 98-62-1 as a starter and brought the Eagles to five NFC title games and one Super Bowl with only one season with an elite offensive playmaker teammate, maybe two if you count Westbrook in 2007. LOMAS BROWN made seven straight Pro Bowls.
There are a lot of options and I hope voters honor the whole ballot instead of just slotting in Rivers.
Who would you take for that 15th slot?
2026 PFHOF: who would you pick as the 15th finalist?
Re: 2026 PFHOF: who would you pick as the 15th finalist?
Ricky Watters
Re: 2026 PFHOF: who would you pick as the 15th finalist?
I would love that!
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SeahawkFever
- Posts: 776
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Re: 2026 PFHOF: who would you pick as the 15th finalist?
I would take one of the four all decade guys in their last two seasons on the regular ballot.readjack wrote: ↑Thu Oct 16, 2025 1:01 pm Looking at the 2026 ballot, it's possible that only one of the 15 finalist slots is actually in play. Here are the 14, who I will list by category and then alphabetically.
Four automatic selections due to finishing in last year's top 7:
1. Anderson
2. Holt
3. Kuechly
4. Vinatieri
Two first-ballot favorites who are locks as finalists:
5. Brees
6. Fitzgerald
Eight returning finalists:
7. Evans (top 10)
8. Manning (top 15)
9. Smith (top 15)
10. Suggs (top 15)
11. Taylor (top 15)
12. Wayne (top 15)
13. Woodson (top 10)
14. Yanda (top 10)
While past voting patterns have less relevance now with the new voting math, it's very possible that the above eight players are all back in the finals. I suppose voters could decide to slow down Eli, Steve Smith or one of the guards and send them back to the semis due to repetition at those positions, but it's not likely.
That leaves one finalist slot. I think voters will be inclined to give it to Philip Rivers, which would be a shame. We have All-Decade guys in their final two years of eligibility who have never been in the room: RICHMOND WEBB, CARNELL LAKE, STEVE WISNIEWSKI, MARK STEPNOSKI.
Only one eligible player in NFL history has won two major MVP awards and is not in Canton: RANDALL CUNNINGHAM. (1990 PFWA, 1998 NEA) He has never been in the room. RICKY WATTERS has 12 more rushing TDs than Fred Taylor and won on three franchises, setting records in San Fran for TDs in a playoff game (5) and tying for TDs in a Super Bowl (three). He's a 5x semifinalist, including four straight years, and he's never been in the room.
You also have mid-eligibility guys like NICK MANGOLD and KEVIN WILLIAMS who have been eligible for a while now without even hitting the semis. RODNEY HARRISON was a finalist two years ago and sent back to the semis. STEVE MCNAIR was 91-62 as a starter, split an MVP with Peyton Manning and was one yard away from sending a Super Bowl to overtime. DONOVAN MCNABB was 98-62-1 as a starter and brought the Eagles to five NFC title games and one Super Bowl with only one season with an elite offensive playmaker teammate, maybe two if you count Westbrook in 2007. LOMAS BROWN made seven straight Pro Bowls.
There are a lot of options and I hope voters honor the whole ballot instead of just slotting in Rivers.
Who would you take for that 15th slot?
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Brian wolf
- Posts: 4496
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:43 am
Re: 2026 PFHOF: who would you pick as the 15th finalist?
Like Eric Allen, Wisniewski and Webb have a chance to get heard before the dreaded senior abyss but they also may cancel each other out. I dont feel Eli will make the Final 15 this year, so I am hoping its time Wiz and Earl Thomas advance. The trinity of Legion Of Boom mates are going to eventually get elected and Thomas or Sherman will be first.
I would also replace Fred Taylor for Kevin Williams, but run-stuffing defensive tackles, just arent remembered by voters.
I would also replace Fred Taylor for Kevin Williams, but run-stuffing defensive tackles, just arent remembered by voters.
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Brian wolf
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- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:43 am
Re: 2026 PFHOF: who would you pick as the 15th finalist?
Congrats to Brees, Fitzgerald, Kuechly, Vinatieri and Craig!
At least a five man class ... On Zoneblitz.com today, I speculated that ProFootballTalk might have hinted at Vinny getting elected, when they did an article about COTY Vrabel talking about him.
At least a five man class ... On Zoneblitz.com today, I speculated that ProFootballTalk might have hinted at Vinny getting elected, when they did an article about COTY Vrabel talking about him.
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Brian wolf
- Posts: 4496
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:43 am
Re: 2026 PFHOF: who would you pick as the 15th finalist?
Getting back to these elected, modern players ...
*Drew Brees -- I remember watching him in his first couple of seasons with the Chargers and didnt think he would be beyond decent, but by his 4th season, he dramatically improved. Once he had the shoulder injury, the team basically went with Rivers but the Dolphins could have had him. They chose Daunte Culpepper and his bad knee instead. Imagine had Brees played in Miami?
He goes to the Saints and becomes a superstar and champion for Sean Payton. The same Sean Payton that couldnt make Reggie Bush a great RB, or give Brees enough running help for his numerous postseasons, though Ingram and Kamara had some good running seasons.
Towards the end of his career, Brees' arm was wore out come postseason. Kamara was a good runner but mostly caught passes. I hope Brees gives a shoutout to his original Saints receiver, Marques Colston, during his HOF acceptance speech. They were a great, mental connection for years.
*Adam Vinatieri -- as clutch a kicker as I have ever seen. Kept his strong leg for a long time. Wins championships with Belichick/Brady, the Patriots dont want to pay him more, so he helps the Colts win a championship with Dungy/Manning. The Patriots get lucky and replace him with another great kicker in Gostkowski, who also wins championships.
With Vinny getting elected pretty quickly, we probably wont see another kicker elected until possibly, Justin Tucker, who wants to rub elbows --or other parts--with another team that might let him kick. I felt he served his punishment this year and hope he gets to kick again in 2026. Gostkowski, Lowery and Gary Anderson, deserve consideration in the future as well.
*Larry Fitzgerald -- no doubt he deserves the HOF but I was still surprised he was chosen on the first ballot? I really felt his ex-teammate, Anquan Boldin would cancel him out this year, but Boldin didnt advance enough to stop his momentum. I have no problem with Larry being first ballot but his career was the epitome of longevity. Lots of middling seasons that werent his fault due to bad QBs. His peak years, not to mention postseasons, really defined his career. Probably the best hands since Cris Carter, who was another great possession receiver but had to wait before election.
*Luke Kuechly -- the guy could hit and level people. Its no coincidence that the League started cracking down on hard hitting as his career--and concussions--kept going. I really only saw him in postseason games. Being in Nashville, I mostly watched Titans games and didnt get to see alot of Panthers games. Sunday Ticket kept going up, so I went back to regional broadcasts.
I wasnt a huge fan of Newton anyway, though I knew he could run with the ball. I felt he was more into modeling and fashion than throwing the football. Kuechly was a throwback linebacker, he reminded me of a faster, modern, Mike Curtis. Like Willis with the 49ers, he deserved the HOF despite a shorter career. Can Navarro Bowman get recognized as well?
*Drew Brees -- I remember watching him in his first couple of seasons with the Chargers and didnt think he would be beyond decent, but by his 4th season, he dramatically improved. Once he had the shoulder injury, the team basically went with Rivers but the Dolphins could have had him. They chose Daunte Culpepper and his bad knee instead. Imagine had Brees played in Miami?
He goes to the Saints and becomes a superstar and champion for Sean Payton. The same Sean Payton that couldnt make Reggie Bush a great RB, or give Brees enough running help for his numerous postseasons, though Ingram and Kamara had some good running seasons.
Towards the end of his career, Brees' arm was wore out come postseason. Kamara was a good runner but mostly caught passes. I hope Brees gives a shoutout to his original Saints receiver, Marques Colston, during his HOF acceptance speech. They were a great, mental connection for years.
*Adam Vinatieri -- as clutch a kicker as I have ever seen. Kept his strong leg for a long time. Wins championships with Belichick/Brady, the Patriots dont want to pay him more, so he helps the Colts win a championship with Dungy/Manning. The Patriots get lucky and replace him with another great kicker in Gostkowski, who also wins championships.
With Vinny getting elected pretty quickly, we probably wont see another kicker elected until possibly, Justin Tucker, who wants to rub elbows --or other parts--with another team that might let him kick. I felt he served his punishment this year and hope he gets to kick again in 2026. Gostkowski, Lowery and Gary Anderson, deserve consideration in the future as well.
*Larry Fitzgerald -- no doubt he deserves the HOF but I was still surprised he was chosen on the first ballot? I really felt his ex-teammate, Anquan Boldin would cancel him out this year, but Boldin didnt advance enough to stop his momentum. I have no problem with Larry being first ballot but his career was the epitome of longevity. Lots of middling seasons that werent his fault due to bad QBs. His peak years, not to mention postseasons, really defined his career. Probably the best hands since Cris Carter, who was another great possession receiver but had to wait before election.
*Luke Kuechly -- the guy could hit and level people. Its no coincidence that the League started cracking down on hard hitting as his career--and concussions--kept going. I really only saw him in postseason games. Being in Nashville, I mostly watched Titans games and didnt get to see alot of Panthers games. Sunday Ticket kept going up, so I went back to regional broadcasts.
I wasnt a huge fan of Newton anyway, though I knew he could run with the ball. I felt he was more into modeling and fashion than throwing the football. Kuechly was a throwback linebacker, he reminded me of a faster, modern, Mike Curtis. Like Willis with the 49ers, he deserved the HOF despite a shorter career. Can Navarro Bowman get recognized as well?