Twenty-six modern-era candidates have advanced as semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, it was announced Nov. 25 after another round of voting.
The group includes five first-ballot candidates – Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Philip Rivers and Jason Witten – and 19 players who reached this stage of the process last year.
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Four of the 19 returning semifinalists – Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri – automatically advanced to this stage after finishing in the top seven in balloting last year, as stipulated by the Hall’s bylaws.
Two other players are semifinalists for the first time: Lomas Brown and Kevin Williams.
Other semifinalists: Eli Manning, Fred Taylor, Steve Smith, Sr., Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Richmond Webb, Steve Wisniewski, Marshal Yanda, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson, Terrell Suggs, Robert Mathis and Vince Wilfork.
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Willie Anderson, T – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2021-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Willie Anderson, T – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2021-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Drew Brees, QB – 2001-05 San Diego Chargers, 2006-2020 New Orleans Saints | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Lomas Brown, T – 1985-1995 Detroit Lions, 1996-98 Arizona Cardinals, 1999 Cleveland Browns, 2000-01 New York Giants, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Jahri Evans, G – 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2023-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Larry Fitzgerald, WR – 2004-2020 Arizona Cardinals | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Frank Gore, RB – 2005-2014 San Francisco 49ers, 2015-17 Indianapolis Colts, 2018 Miami Dolphins, 2019 Buffalo Bills, 2020 New York Jets | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Rodney Harrison, S – 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2021, 2023-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Torry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 2 – 2015 -2026 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Luke Kuechly, LB – 2012-19 Carolina Panthers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26)
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Eli Manning, QB – 2004-2019 New York Giants | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Robert Mathis, DE/LB – 2003-2016 Indianapolis Colts |(Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2022-26)
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Philip Rivers, QB – 2004-2019 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, 2020 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Steve Smith Sr., WR – 2001-2013 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2022-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Terrell Suggs, LB/DE – 2003-2018 Baltimore Ravens, 2019 Arizona Cardinals, 2019 Kansas City Chiefs | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Fred Taylor, RB – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2020-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Earl Thomas, S – 2010-18 Seattle Seahawks, 2019 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Adam Vinatieri, K – 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-2019 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Hines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 10 – 2017- 2026)
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Reggie Wayne, WR – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2020-26)
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Richmond Webb, T – 1990-2000 Miami Dolphins, 2001-02 Cincinnati Bengals | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Vince Wilfork, DT – 2004-2014 New England Patriots, 2015-16 Houston Texans | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2022-26)
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Kevin Williams, DT – 2003-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014 Seattle Seahawks, 2015 New Orleans Saints | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Steve Wisniewski, G – 1989-2001 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2014, 2025-26 )
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Jason Witten, TE – 2003-2019 Dallas Cowboys, 2020 Las Vegas Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2026)
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Darren Woodson, S – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 10 – 2015, 2017, 2019-2026)
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26 NFL players named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Marshal Yanda, G/T – 2007-2019 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26 )
After reducing a slate of 52 modern-era candidates chosen by a screening committee, the Hall’s 50-member selection committee will vote in the coming weeks to reduce the list of 26 modern-era semifinalists to 15 finalists. The results of that voting will be announced in late December. Reduction votes are also occurring with subcommittees for the coach, contributor and seniors categories, with five finalists for those categories to be announced on Dec. 3.
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The total of 20 finalists – 15 modern-day candidates, three seniors, one coach and one contributor – will be voted on by the entire selection committee in January and revealed in advance of Super Bowl 60.
The Hall’s bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new Hall of Famers will be selected for the Class of 2026.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame modern-era semifinalists named
